International Press Review - September 20, 2024

French

New French Government Expected Before Sunday

France is set to welcome its new government "before Sunday," according to statements made by Michel Barnier on Thursday evening. Barnier has submitted a list of 38 ministers to President Emmanuel Macron, including 16 full ministers. Notable names include Bruno Retailleau from Les Républicains, who will head the Ministry of Interior, and Jean-Noël Barrot from MoDem, expected to take on Foreign Affairs.

The Prime Minister's office has confirmed that the government presentation is imminent, subject to the usual ethical verifications. This ministerial reshuffle marks a key step for the French executive in an ever-evolving political context.

Source: Le Figaro
 

National Strike of Medical Analysis Laboratories Starting September 20

Medical analysis laboratories are preparing for a national strike starting September 20, following a call from the inter-union of liberal medical biologists, supported by their public sector colleagues. This mobilization comes in response to the National Health Insurance's decision to impose fee reductions for examinations in August.

From Friday, private laboratories, which serve an average of 500,000 patients daily, will close their doors for four days. During this period, no examinations or samples will be taken, except for urgent analyses for hospitalized patients.

Jean-Claude Azoulay, president of the National Union of Medical Biologists, stated that "all major groups support the movement" and in many regions, all laboratories will remain closed. The mobilization of medical biologists is expected to be particularly strong and widely followed.

Source: Le Monde
 

Telecommunications: Niel and Drahi, Two Contrasting Visions at the Heart of a Stagnant Sector

At the Olympia, Xavier Niel, founder of Free, shares his advice on "how to become a billionaire" with the public. In the shadows, Patrick Drahi, owner of SFR, prepares his own show titled "how to escape creditors."

But beyond individual performances, what's really happening in the telecommunications sector? Not much, in reality. Despite recent reports from Letta and Draghi, which call for urgent concentration of the European sector to ensure long-term competitiveness, market share distribution remains stagnant. The impact of a potential easing of competitive regulations by Brussels seems, for now, unlikely to change this stagnation.

Source: Les Echos
 

Italy 

Floods in Emilia-Romagna: An Alarming Toll

Emilia-Romagna is once again under water, for the third time in 16 months, due to the torrential rains of cyclone Boris. The toll is concerning: a thousand people evacuated, two missing, and numerous roads and schools closed. Rivers are overflowing, flooding houses, while firefighter helicopters perform rescues from rooftops.

President Mattarella thanked those providing assistance, while the government pointed fingers at the region, claiming it had not used all available funds. Opposition leader Schlein denounced it as an "electoral scandal."

Source: La Repubblica
 

Spain

European Parliament Recognizes Edmundo González as "Legitimate" President of Venezuela

The European Parliament has voted in favor of recognizing Edmundo González as the "legitimate and democratically elected" president of Venezuela, supported by the European People's Party (EPP), Meloni's radical right, the German far-right, and the Vox group. Five Portuguese Socialist MEPs also voted in favor of this resolution, marking an exception within the social-democratic family, which largely rejected this initiative.

Spanish socialists, in particular, expressed their disagreement, calling the EPP "alone with the far-right." They left negotiations on Tuesday, stating that no European socialist would vote for the EPP resolution. "There is no position other than 'no'," they declared, emphasizing that the rapid recognition of Edmundo González as the winner of the elections is hardly useful given previous precedents, notably that of Juan Guaidó.

Source: El Mundo

Puigdemont Again Challenges Amnesty Refusal in Supreme Court

Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has decided to once again challenge the decision of "procés" instructor Pablo Llarena, who rejected his request for amnesty. This time, Puigdemont is asking the criminal chamber of the Supreme Court to review the magistrate's refusal. Llarena had already been supported by the judges who sentenced the independence leaders of the October 1 referendum, considering that the misappropriation of which Puigdemont is accused falls under the exceptions provided by law.

In a 46-page document, obtained by El Periódico, Puigdemont's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, emphasizes that "the instructor has not ruled within the legally established deadline on the reform appeals filed against the July 1 order" which refused amnesty. Boye claims that the magistrate has "far exceeded the deadline" provided for in Article 222 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which he considers a "violation of the right to a trial without undue delay."

Source: elPeriodico

Portugal 

Specialized Team to Investigate Forest Fires in Portugal

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro recently announced the formation of a "specialized team" to deepen the criminal investigation into forest fires. However, details regarding the precise missions of this team remain unclear, according to information reported by DN.

Currently, two "multidisciplinary teams for ignition reduction" are already on the ground, one in the North region and the other in the Center region, the areas most affected by fires since Sunday. These teams will also receive support from public prosecutors, in accordance with the decision taken during the extraordinary Council of Ministers on September 17.

Following this meeting, the Prime Minister confirmed the creation and reinforcement of these teams, which have existed for three years under a different name, namely the Working Groups for Ignition Reduction in Rural Areas. Their mission remains unchanged: "To strengthen the investigation of rural fires, particularly in territories where causes remain undetermined or are of criminal origin."

Source: Diário de Noticias
 

United states

Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey Campaign in Michigan

Vice President Kamala Harris is joining Oprah Winfrey for a campaign event in Michigan, leveraging the influence of one of her most renowned ambassadors to mobilize voters in this key state.

Oprah Winfrey endorsed Kamala Harris last month by delivering a passionate speech at the Democratic National Convention, marking her first intervention at a party convention.

Meanwhile, former President Donald J. Trump was focusing on his campaign in Washington, where he addressed Jewish voters at an event alongside Miriam Adelson, a major conservative donor, before participating in a conference of the Israeli-American Council, a pro-Israel group. Observers are waiting to see if Trump will mention Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, who has recently faced criticism following a troubling CNN report.

Source: New York Times

Germany

CDU Faces Governance Challenges in Thuringia and Saxony

Party leaders in Thuringia and Saxony are engaging in delicate negotiations to form governments following recent regional elections. A recurring question emerges: will the CDU consider an alliance with the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) to obtain a majority?

Friedrich Merz, CDU chairman, stated on Monday evening in Berlin that a coalition with the BSW in Thuringia or Saxony was "very, very, very unlikely." Despite this, he mentioned the possibility of tolerance or other forms of collaboration. Merz's main objective is to prevent the election of Björn Höcke, AfD candidate, as Minister-President in Thuringia. He thus wishes to ensure that he has explored all available options.

Source: Der Spiegel
 

Japan

Icom Denies Any Involvement in Hezbollah-Related Explosions

Japanese manufacturer Icom, whose walkie-talkies are associated with recent explosions targeting the armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon, has firmly denied any responsibility in the production of explosive devices. These attacks caused the death of 25 people and injured hundreds of others.

Yoshiki Enomoto, director of Icom, told Reuters in an interview in Osaka that "it is impossible for a bomb to have been integrated into one of our devices during manufacturing. The process is highly automated and fast, so there is no time for such things."

The detonations of portable radios used by Hezbollah occurred on Wednesday in the suburbs of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley, following explosions of electronic pagers on Tuesday, which killed at least 12 people, including two children, and injured 3,000 others.

Source: Asahi Shimbun