Refractory Gauls, or the French politics thread

[Duque de Bragança]

He claimed to be Jupiterian, so Ganymede would make sense. 

[Josquius]

This is good news.

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/04/parisians-vote-in-favour-of-tripling-parking-costs-for-suvs

Interesting to see one of those silly super low turnout referendums going the right way for once.
I wonder if the French greens learned from the scooter thing and we will see more of these.

[HVC]

Wont effect residents. Greens get to pat themselves on the back but nothing much done.

[Josquius]

Wont effect residents. Greens get to pat themselves on the back but nothing much done.

Its not exactly world changing but I don't see how it won't do anything?
It provides a disincentive to buying an SUV; and I do know running costs, taxes, etc... are issues for many in buying cars.
And even for those rich people who don't care.... well more money is being taken from them for the privilege. If they don't care then that's fine, make them pay as much as possible.

[Duque de Bragança]

Wont effect residents. Greens get to pat themselves on the back but nothing much done.

Yes, it will. Only tradesmen and very small SUVs will be exempted. It's true some huge, gas-guzzling sedans will be affected as well. 

Those bad and cowardly drivers hiding in their ugly SUVs had it coming.     

Can't remember hear them about the poor being disproportionately hit when diesels were banned, not just car parks rates being tripled.

The effect won't be as dramatic as getting rid of the rental e-scooters and their even more idiotic riders, but still a positive.

[HVC]

Wont effect residents. Greens get to pat themselves on the back but nothing much done.

Yes, it will. Only tradesmen and very small SUVs will be exempted. It's true some huge, gas-guzzling sedans will be affected as well. 

Those bad and cowardly drivers hiding in their ugly SUVs had it coming.     

Can't remember hear them about the poor being disproportionately hit when diesels were banned, not just car parks rates being tripled.

The effect won't be as dramatic as getting rid of the rental e-scooters and their even more idiotic riders, but still a positive.

Article said residents were exempt, unless I misread. If that's not the case I take it back.

[HVC]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13124701/imam-france-flag-deported-north-africa-immigration-laws.html

French resident surprised when he gets deported from France for making anti France and antisemitic remarks. Fighting to get get back to the country he hates and has lived in for almost 40 years. Dumbass. Hope he fails.

[Duque de Bragança]

Wont effect residents. Greens get to pat themselves on the back but nothing much done.

Yes, it will. Only tradesmen and very small SUVs will be exempted. It's true some huge, gas-guzzling sedans will be affected as well. 

Those bad and cowardly drivers hiding in their ugly SUVs had it coming.     

Can't remember hear them about the poor being disproportionately hit when diesels were banned, not just car parks rates being tripled.

The effect won't be as dramatic as getting rid of the rental e-scooters and their even more idiotic riders, but still a positive.

Article said residents were exempt, unless I misread. If that's not the case I take it back.

To be fair, the Guardian article was not that accurate.

[Josquius]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13124701/imam-france-flag-deported-north-africa-immigration-laws.html

French resident surprised when he gets deported from France for making anti France and antisemitic remarks. Fighting to get get back to the country he hates and has lived in for almost 40 years. Dumbass. Hope he fails.

For an actual immigrant non-citizen this seems fine to me.
Its when they pull this shit on people born and raised in the country who have (theoretical) dual nationality that it sits uneasy- the Begum mess.

[Duque de Bragança]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13124701/imam-france-flag-deported-north-africa-immigration-laws.html

French resident surprised when he gets deported from France for making anti France and antisemitic remarks. Fighting to get get back to the country he hates and has lived in for almost 40 years. Dumbass. Hope he fails.

Interior minister Darmanin can't blame Liverpuldians this time, so maybe it will work. 

[viper37]

There are talks that the French Senate might reject the final CETA accord.

By all measures, it's been positive for Europe.  As predicted, fearmongers were wrong and were spouting crap.  The accord was beneficial to Europe and Canada with increased exchange, trademarks were much more protected than before, beef imports to Europe were abot 3% of the maximum allowed...  Still, the far left is opposed to making it permanent.  Because.  It's a trade agreement, therefore it's bad.  It will destroy the fabric of society.  And/or the space-time continuum.  Hard to tell with them.  No idea where the far right parties stand.


Link in French

[Duque de Bragança]

Rejected by the Sénat but the Assemblée Nationale has the upper hand, ultimately.

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240321-french-senate-rejects-eu-canada-free-trade-agreement

Alliance droite-gauche de circonstance.  Il n'y a pas que le RN et consorts (Zemmour ?) dans la vie.

Macron and his centrist parliamentary allies managed to get the deal approved in the National Assembly lower house in 2019 by a slim margin, but backing by the Senate upper house – where they are in a clear minority – is needed for ratification.

After scenes of tension rarely seen in the upper house, senators voted 211 against and 44 for the treaty and then confirmed the rejection with a second vote.

Read more
'Unfair competition': French farmers up in arms over EU free-trade agreements

There had been some expectations that opponents of the treaty would run out of time for the confirmation vote but they managed to squeeze it in by racing through the debate.

Although a setback for the government, which backs the treaty, the no-vote does not in itself nullify the agreement.

Under EU rules, the rejection is only effective if the government officially notifies the EU, which Macron is not expected to do.

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The government has not said how it will handle the situation, but one option is to take the treaty back to the National Assembly for a fresh debate and vote.

Seventeen of the EU's members have ratified the deal, with the process still ongoing in 10 countries.

France is the second country to have rejected ratification.

The first, Cyprus, has not notified the EU Commission of its no-vote and continues to apply the treaty pending a new vote.

I believe the Mercosul treaty is much more problematic and will be even more polemic.

PS: I like how le Figaro described it https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/malgre-l-obstruction-macroniste-le-senat-rejette-la-ratification-par-la-france-de-l-accord-de-libre-echange-ceta-20240321 
Somewhat biased.  But then le Figaro never pretended to be apolitical.

[viper37]

Somewhat biased.  But then le Figaro never pretended to be apolitical.

C'était sans compter sur la malice du groupe communiste au Sénat,

J'aime ce journal.
  

«Nous ne pouvons plus continuer à importer d'ailleurs ce que nous produisons chez nous»

Tough talk from people who want us to be vegetarian and eat quinoa salad.  Will it grow in Normandy?

There are fair exchanges.  Different varieties are produced on each continent, even if it's beef or cheese, or ultimately cars or heat pumps.

As usual, the far left and the far right are stupid, and in the mid to long term, ecologists are putting all breaks on technological innovations since they'll be costlier to implement on each continent due to a lack of commercial exchange.

[Josquius]

I do think the argument there is to rediscover and make more use of local varieties and to cut down a bit on use of foreign varieties.

There's certainly some validity here. We could definitely do with more diversity and resilience in our food supply chains - the unfolding bananapocolypse is a stand out example.

But it's a weird basis on which to oppose this.

[viper37]

- the unfolding bananapocolypse

That is a myth though.

Rediscovering local varieties does not mean shutting off the borders to all foreign markets.  If you look at 3rd world countries that have high tariffs, this is actually hurting their economy, not helping them promote local industries.

Tunisia comes to mind, among others.  They were never better because of high tariffs on finished products.  On the contrary, they fared worst because they became dependant on only some suppliers and could never get enough of a competitive advantage to develop.