Latest news with #OlivierFaure
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Teacher suspended after holding minute's silence for Gaza victims
A teacher in France has been suspended for nearly two months after holding a minute's silence for Gaza victims in her class. The physics and chemistry teacher at the Janot-Curie high school in Sens, Yens, was told by the local education authority that she failed to respect the principle of neutrality when she was suspended on 31 March. On 25 March, days after resumed Israeli strikes ended the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the teacher is accused by the Dijon education authority of having organised a minute of silence for the Palestinians killed in the week before. This was done on her own 'personal initiative', the education authority told The Independent - but this claim has been disputed by teaching unions. "Respecting neutrality is a duty for civil servants, enshrined in their status, and any failure to comply with this obligation triggers disciplinary proceedings," the authority explained. But the education branches of French unions FO, CGT and Sud insist that the students had requested the silence. 'The teacher agreed, at the end of her class, to observe this time of homage with the students who wished to do so," they said. "We demand that this teacher be reinstated immediately, that all charges be dropped, and that her dignity be officially restored in the eyes of the school, staff, and parents," the unions added in a joint statement. Equally outraged were political figures including the first-secretary of the Socialist Party (PS), Olivier Faure. 'A minute of silence requested by the students, with those who do not want to join being able to withdraw, to pay tribute to the victims in Gaza, and it is the teacher who is suspended... really???' he wrote on X. 'We are standing on our heads.' It comes as France's relationship with Israel becomes increasingly strained, after Israeli ministers responded furiously to condemnation by Western allies over its actions in the Gaza strip, including the previous 11-week blockade on aid and its resumed offensive. President Emmanuel Macron joined the UK and Canada in issuing their strongest condemnation yet of Netanyahu's government. A statement demanded Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu halt his 'egregious' actions in Gaza, threatening 'concrete actions' over the 'intolerable' human suffering inflicted on the enclave. Following the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington DC on Wednesday night, Mr Netanyahu echoed earlier statements by fellow ministers l aying the blame at the door of the UK, France and Canada. 'I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer: When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice,' he wrote on social media. 'You're on the wrong side of humanity and you're on the wrong side of history.'
Saudi Gazette
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
French PM Bayrou survives third no-confidence vote after 2025 budget rift
PARIS — French Prime Minister François Bayrou survived his third no-confidence vote in less than one month this vote came after the recently appointed head of government used a controversial constitutional tool known as Article 49.3 to push through the country's long-overdue 2025 budget plan through parliament without a vote from the MPs on turn, this opened his government to the risk of a no-confidence motion 48 hours later, which was backed by the hard-left France Unbowed Party (LFI), the Greens, and the Communists (all part of the left-wing coalition NFP).Surviving the vote means the budget plan is automatically adopted. The contentious bill aimed to cut an eye-watering €30bn and raise taxes by €20bn to limit France's deficit to 5.4% of GDP this year.A total of 288 votes were needed to successfully topple Bayrou's government and strike down the Wednesday night, 128 votes were counted. The Socialists (also part of the left-wing coalition) and the far-right decided not to support the motion this time.A second confidence vote tabled by LFI, this time on the Social Security budget bill, was debated later on Wednesday night but once again did not achieve the amount of votes move has created a major rift within the NFP with the France Unbowed party accusing the Socialists of betraying the center left party claims to oppose Bayrou's bill but has refused to vote against his government to allow France to have a budget."I think it's irresponsible. I think it's uncharacteristic of a left-wing coalition. I will remind you that it's the Socialist MPs who are isolating themselves from the rest of us with their choice," said Sarah Legrain, a France Unbowed MP, in an interview with Euronews."We have our own autonomy and we don't depend on anyone... it's as simple as that," hit back Olivier Faure, the leader of the to demonstrate its opposition to the government, the centre-left party plans to table a spontaneous confidence motion after the budget vote."Even if I consider this budget to be a bad one, I hope that the public sector, businesses and local authorities can continue to funcition, especially those who need public funding... We can't have a country which, for the next few months months is in a state of crisis," Olivier Faure told Barnier, Bayrou's predecessor, was ousted last December after the entire left-wing coalition and the far right joined although this gives Bayrou's minority government some breathing room, the coming months will likely be has been in a state of political paralysis after French President Emmanuel Macron decided to dissolve the lower house of parliament following his party's loss in the European elections in June early legislative vote held in the summer ended with a hung parliament divided into three blocs with no absolute Macron cannot call for early elections before the coming summer. — Euronews
