Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 4 July 2017
Macron says he will lift France’s state of emergency

By SYLVIE CORBET tion scandals that “used
ANGELA CHARLTON to seem almost normal”
Associated Press in the country’s political
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- landscape. He notably
dent Emmanuel Macron vowed to end the special
vowed Monday to lift a court, mostly composed
state of emergency that of lawmakers, that judges
has been in place since government members for
2015, but also to harden crimes committed while
permanent security mea- in charge. They will be
sures to fight Islamic ex- judged by regular judges,
tremism and other threats. with a procedure to deter
Laying out his political, se- poiticians from using courts
curity and diplomatic priori- to attack rivals.
ties at an extraordinary joint Implicitly addressing the
session of parliament at the French media, he called
chateau of Versailles, Ma- for an end to “this continu-
cron said his government ous search for scandal, the
“will work to prevent any permanent violation of the
new attack, and we will presumption of innocence,
work to fight (the assail- the manhunt where some-
ants) without pity, without times reputations are de-
regrets, without weakness.” stroyed.”
At the same time, he insist- Macron said he wants to
ed on the need to “guar- French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a special congress gathering both houses speed up lawmaking to
antee full respect for indi- of parliament (National Assembly and Senate) in the palace of Versailles, outside Paris, better adapt the process
vidual liberties” amid con- Monday, July 3, 2017. Macron will lay out his political, security and diplomatic priorities at an to a rapidly changing soci-
cerns that new measures extraordinary joint session of parliament at the chateau of Versailles. ety.
would allow police too (Eric Ferferberg/Pool Photo via AP) He proposed that some
many powers. solutions. and uncaring. Macron has pledged to ful- “simple” bills be voted on in
Macron vowed to main- In his bid to strengthen the “I firmly believe in Europe, fill his campaign promise to parliament’s commissions
tain France’s military inter- European Union following but I don’t find this skepti- bring about deep changes instead of in plenary ses-
ventions against extremists Britain’s vote to leave, he cism unjustified,” he said. in France, notably through sions. Macron also wants to
abroad, especially in Af- announced Europe-wide He added that European labor reform and a series reduce the number of seats
rica’s Sahel region and in public conferences later countries should work more of measures to put more in parliament — which now
Iraq and Syria. this year in an effort to rein- closely to help political refu- transparency and ethics stand at 925 — by one third.
He also insisted on the im- vigorate the bloc. gees while fighting migrant- into politics. He promised to gather
portance of maintaining He said he understood why smuggling and strengthen- He said French voters no both houses of parliament
“the path of negotiation, many Europeans see the ing borders against illegal longer accept the con- in Versailles every year, to
of dialogue” for long-term EU as bureaucratic, distant migration. flicts of interest and corrup- be accountable.q

UK hopeful of deal to break Northern Ireland deadlock

By JILL LAWLESS main parties — the Irish na- of Northern Ireland’s 1998 negotiator Conor Murphy of loyalists. Tensions have
Associated Press tionalists Sinn Fein and the peace accord. said a “lack of urgency” also been inflamed by a
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s pro-British loyalists the Dem- Brokenshire said “some from the DUP was imped- deal between British Prime
senior official for Northern ocratic Unionist Party. progress has been made” ing an agreement. Minister Theresa May’s
Ireland said Monday that The Catholic-Protestant in talks, but “gaps remain.” Democratic Unionist leader Conservative Party and the
he remains hopeful a deal power-sharing administra- “I believe that a deal re- Arlene Foster accused Sinn DUP, which has promised
can be struck this week to tion has been on ice since mains achievable,” he Fein of having “a shopping to support May’s minority
break an impasse that has January, and several gov- said. “But time is short.” list which seems to get lon- government on key parlia-
left residents there without ernment-imposed dead- Britain has warned it may ger every time we meet mentary votes.
a functioning government lines to reach a deal have restore direct rule if the talks with them.” One sticking Sinn Fein leaders have
for six months. passed. fail, but Brokenshire set no point is Sinn Fein’s demand complained that the DUP’s
Northern Ireland Secretary The parties have blamed new deadline Monday. for an act protecting the new role means the British
James Brokenshire said each other for the impasse Both parties appeared Irish language — a major government is no longer
“time is short” to reach that threatens power-shar- pessimistic about the pros- totem for Irish nationalists impartial as required by the
a deal between the two ing, the key achievement pects of a deal. Sinn Fein that has raised the hackles Good Friday accord.q