Latest news with #NationalRally
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
French vote to scrap low-emission zones hits Macron bid to fight pollution
France's National Assembly has voted to abolish low-emission zones, a key measure introduced during President Emmanuel Macron's first term to reduce city ZFEs (zones à faibles émissions) have been criticised for hitting those who cannot afford less-polluting vehicles the hardest.A handful of MPs from Macron's party joined opposition parties from the right and far right in voting 98-51 to scrap the zones, which have gradually been extended across French cities since motion was put forward by Pierre Meurin of the far-right National Rally, and backed by some motoring organisations. But it was a personal victory for writer Alexandre Jardin who set up a movement called Les #Gueux (Beggars), arguing that "ecology has turned into a sport for the rich"."Everyone played their part in the vote. The MPs voted either for the end of this nightmare, or they abstained," he told Le Figaro newspaper."They were afraid of going back to their constituencies if they had voted against the abolition of the ZFEs."The low-emission zones began with 15 of France's most polluted cities in 2019 and by the start of this year had been extended to every urban area with a population of more than 150,000, with a ban on cars registered before produced after 1997 need a round "Crit'Air" sticker to drive in low-emission zones, and there are six categories that correspond to various types of biggest restrictions have been applied in the most polluted cities, Paris and Lyon, as well as Montpellier and Grenoble. They have turned into something of a lightning rod for Macron's opponents. Marine Le Pen condemned the ZFEs as "no-rights zones" during her presidential campaign for National Rally in 2022, and her Communist counterpart warned of a "social bomb".The head of the right-wing Republicans in the Assembly, Laurent Wauquiez, talked of "freeing the French from stifling, punitive ecology", and on the far left, Clémence Guetté said green policies should not be imposed "on the backs of the working classes".The government tried to head off Wednesday night's revolt by watering down the restrictions, but also preserving the zones in Paris and Lyon. This amendment was defeated by a large Pannier-Runacher, the minister for green transition, told MPs that "air pollution is behind almost 40,000 premature deaths a year... and the low-emission zones have helped bring down [that number]".The Greens and Socialists also voted to maintain the zones. Green Senator Anne Souyris told BFMTV that "killing [the ZFEs] also means killing hundreds of thousands of people" and Socialist MP Gérard Leseul said the vote sent a negative signal as it did not address the reduction that had to be made to levels of air abolition is expected to go through the upper house, France's Senate, but it still needs to be approved in a broader bill in the lower house in June and will have to be approved by France's Constitutional Council, which is not guaranteed.
Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Times
French Ulez to be scrapped in victory for hard-right
Low-emission zones in Paris and other cities are to be scrapped after a parliamentary vote responding to a popular backlash against environmental restrictions in France. Marine Le Pen, leader of the hard-right National Rally, and the radical left France Unbowed both claimed victory after joining forces, along with conservatives, to abolish a six-year-old law that has barred higher polluting vehicles from city centres. The victory, by 98 votes to 51, came hours after a defeat for environmental campaigners as a court decided to allow work to restart on the highly contested A69 motorway in southwestern France. In February a court ordered a halt to construction after two years of environmental protests and objections from farmers and rural residents in the path of the 38-mile motorway between Toulouse and Castres. Backed by 80 per cent of the public, according to polls, the opponents of the urban 'Zones à faibles émissions' — equivalent to Britain's Ulez — argued that they discriminate against poorer car owners. The zones, which require all vehicles to display windscreen stickers with their emission class, ban diesel cars built before 2006 and more modern vehicles in periods of high air pollution. Fines of €68 are imposed on drivers in zones prohibited to their vehicles, although they are often not enforced. 'This is a defeat for the punitive environmental campaigners, the ones who are constantly hammering the French people to no effect,' Le Pen said. France Unbowed saluted 'a triumph against an unjust regulation'. • Marine Le Pen: I am the Martin Luther King Jr of France The conservative Republicans, who are part of the coalition government, defended their opposition to the zones. 'Everyone is in favour of improving air quality. But we think that it can't be done at the price of social exclusion,' Ian Boucard, a party MP, told parliament. The vote was a blow to President Macron's wing in the conservative-centrist government, which campaigned to keep the law that he introduced in 2019 to curb fine particles and other pollutants in Paris, Marseilles, Lyons and a dozen other cities. Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the environment minister, deplored the vote and the rejection of a compromise she backed to maintain the zones in Paris and Marseilles. 'Air pollution causes 40,000 premature deaths a year and the low-pollution zones helped reduce these,' she said. Motoring organisations, meanwhile, cheered the government's defeat of a system that opponents argue creates a social divide, limiting access to urban centres for low-income drivers. Scrapping the scheme means the government will have to reimburse part of the €3.3 billion in EU funds that have been spent on it this year. Macron's centrist bloc and the centre-left Socialist parties joined environmental groups in deploring what they see as part of a populist-led rejection of progress towards combating climate change. Farmers blocked highways and rallied outside parliament this week, demanding that restrictions on pesticides and water use be eased. A bill to do this was eventually defeated on Wednesday. • Air pollution linked to acute mental illness The government welcomed the court ruling on the A69 motorway, whose sites were the scene of violent protests for two years until February. Police arrested hundreds, including protesters dragged out of trees that were due to be felled. That month a court accepted opponents' arguments that the motorway should be stopped pending a full trial on their claim that it would inflict unjustified destruction of nature and disrupt the lives of residents in towns and villages in its path. Philippe Tabarot, the transport minister, called the latest ruling 'a real relief' because the court had accepted that there was a strong economic and social argument in favour of the motorway, he said. The Toulouse Administrative Court of Appeal issued a stay on the February halt and allowed work to resume on the €450 million project pending a full appeal trial within the next 12 months. Atosca, the firm building the toll motorway, is to restart its earth-moving and construction in June and intends to complete the already half-built road next year. Environmental campaigners said they were stunned by the court reversal and called for protests to resume. Julie Rover, a lawyer for opponents of the A69, said it made no sense to complete the motorway now, laying down miles of asphalt across the countryside. 'There's a risk now that in eight or ten months the court will confirm its cancellation,' she said.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab Times
Portugal's Chega party becomes main opposition, joins Europe's far-right surge
LISBON, Portugal, May 29, (AP): Portugal's anti-immigration Chega party notched another political gain for Europe's far right on Wednesday after it was assigned the second-most seats in parliament - meaning it will become the head of the parliamentary opposition to the new government. That shatters the pattern of Portugal's center-right and center-left mainstream parties alternating between heading a government or leading the opposition. Chega's strides since the May 18 election coincide with gains elsewhere by far-right forces. In Europe, those include France's National Rally, the Brothers of Italy and Alternative for Germany, which are now in the political mainstream. Leading the opposition is quite the accomplishment for a once-fringe party that competed in its first election six years ago, when it won one seat. It has surged recently with its hardline stance against immigration and with the inability of traditional parties to form lasting governments. The May 18th election was Portugal's third in as many years. Chega, which means "Enough,' secured 60 of the National Assembly's 230 seats after it picked up two more seats on Wednesday from the overseas voters of the European Union country of 10.6 million people. "This is a profound change in the Portuguese political system," Chega leader Andre Ventura told supporters after Chega bested the Socialists by two seats. The center-right Democratic Alliance, led by the Social Democratic Party, captured two more seats to take its tally to 88. Following the election, incoming Prime Minister Luis Montenegro was already looking at heading another minority government similar to the one that fell two months ago in a confidence vote after less than a year in power. But now Montenegro and other parties will face an emboldened far-right competitor that campaigned under the slogan "Save Portugal' and describes itself as a nationalist party.
3 days ago
- Politics
Portugal's Chega party becomes the main opposition and joins Europe's far-right surge
LISBON, Portugal -- Portugal's anti-immigration Chega party notched another political gain for Europe's far right on Wednesday after it was assigned the second-most seats in parliament — meaning it will become the head of the parliamentary opposition to the new government. That shatters the pattern of Portugal's center-right and center-left mainstream parties alternating between heading a government or leading the opposition. Chega's strides since the May 18 election coincide with gains elsewhere by far-right forces. In Europe, those include France's National Rally, the Brothers of Italy and Alternative for Germany, which are now in the political mainstream. Leading the opposition is quite the accomplishment for a once-fringe party that competed in its first election six years ago, when it won one seat. It has surged recently with its hardline stance against immigration and with the inability of traditional parties to form lasting governments. The May 18th election was Portugal's third in as many years. Chega, which means 'Enough,' secured 60 of the National Assembly's 230 seats after it picked up two more seats on Wednesday from the overseas voters of the European Union country of 10.6 million people. 'This is a profound change in the Portuguese political system," Chega leader Andre Ventura told supporters after Chega bested the Socialists by two seats. The center-right Democratic Alliance, led by the Social Democratic Party, captured two more seats to take its tally to 88. Following the election, incoming Prime Minister Luis Montenegro was already looking at heading another minority government similar to the one that fell two months ago in a confidence vote after less than a year in power. But now Montenegro and other parties will face an emboldened far-right competitor that campaigned under the slogan 'Save Portugal' and describes itself as a nationalist party. ___
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Portugal's Chega party becomes the main opposition and joins Europe's far-right surge
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal's anti-immigration Chega party notched another political gain for Europe's far right on Wednesday after it was assigned the second-most seats in parliament — meaning it will become the head of the parliamentary opposition to the new government. That shatters the pattern of Portugal's center-right and center-left mainstream parties alternating between heading a government or leading the opposition. Chega's strides since the May 18 election coincide with gains elsewhere by far-right forces. In Europe, those include France's National Rally, the Brothers of Italy and Alternative for Germany, which are now in the political mainstream. Leading the opposition is quite the accomplishment for a once-fringe party that competed in its first election six years ago, when it won one seat. It has surged recently with its hardline stance against immigration and with the inability of traditional parties to form lasting governments. The May 18th election was Portugal's third in as many years. Chega, which means 'Enough,' secured 60 of the National Assembly's 230 seats after it picked up two more seats on Wednesday from the overseas voters of the European Union country of 10.6 million people. 'This is a profound change in the Portuguese political system," Chega leader Andre Ventura told supporters after Chega bested the Socialists by two seats. The center-right Democratic Alliance, led by the Social Democratic Party, captured two more seats to take its tally to 88. Following the election, incoming Prime Minister Luis Montenegro was already looking at heading another minority government similar to the one that fell two months ago in a confidence vote after less than a year in power. But now Montenegro and other parties will face an emboldened far-right competitor that campaigned under the slogan 'Save Portugal' and describes itself as a nationalist party. ___ Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain.
