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SERVICIO Diaranson 13 aPriL 2022

France’s Macron faces angry voters as he fights for 2nd term

(AP) — Facing a tougher- ing him.
than expected fight for re- “We are exhausted,” some
election, French President Before Sunday’s first round nurses told him. “Improve
Emmanuel Macron has presidential vote which our working conditions!”
hit the campaign trail at had 12 candidates, Macron
last — and it isn’t always skipped most campaign ac- A 61-year-old health care
proving welcoming. tivities, focusing his time at worker said he worked for
the Elysee Presidential Pal- 30 years and but is earning
But he’s not shying away ace on diplomatic efforts to only 1,885 euros ($2,051) a
from angry voters, instead end Russia’s war in Ukraine. month.
engaging in lively, sometimes Domestic critics decried the
confrontational debates. perceived lack of debate in “I am not thinking about my-
Since he and far-right na- France’s presidential cam- self. I am thinking of my chil-
tionalist rival Marine Le Pen paign. dren, my grandchildren,” he
qualified Sunday for France’s said, explaining his vote.
April 24 presidential runoff, Now the role of candidate
Macron has seemed eager to has taken over. Macron is Macron mentioned changes
go in the field to explain his considered the favorite by the his government had made
policies and try to convince polls, but Le Pen appears to amid the COVID-19 pan- can keep financing our social
people to hand him a second have significantly narrowed demic, including a small “Two years ago, I made com- model if we don’t push back
term. the gap from 2017, when salary increase for hospital mitments… and the salaries (the retirement age).”
he trounced her in the same workers. were increased. And 183 eu-
On Tuesday, he was asked presidential runoff. ros ($199) per month, you He kept repeating that the
hard questions during a visit “Have your earnings been in- can’t say that’s nothing,” Ma- retirement changes would be
to the eastern city of Mul- On Monday, Macron went creased?” he asked. cron insisted. implemented very gradually
house. to an economically depressed through 2031 and opened the
region in northern France “We don’t feel the impact of Another big obstacle repeat- door to softening the reform,
“Why didn’t you help the that is considered Le Pen’s it,” the man answered. edly came Macron’s way: his as he seeks to attract voters
poorest?” stronghold. The next day, he planned pension changes. who chose other candidates
visited the eastern cities of Another health care worker Macron wants to raise the in the first round.
“Why do hospitals suffer Mulhouse and Strasbourg, asked him about hospitals minimum retirement age
from shortages of beds and where far-left candidate Jean- “losing beds” as the pandem- from 62 to 65, which he ar- Le Pen’s supporters credit
shortages of health workers?” Luc Mélenchon, who came ic is still going on. gues is needed so France can her months of campaigning
in third Sunday, got a major- keep financing the pensions. in France’s provinces for her
“How can you propose to ity of the first-round vote. “I know, that is the challenge Le Pen says she would main- strong first-round showing.
push back retirement age we are facing,” Macron ac- tain the retirement age at 62. But as Macron joined the
from 62 to 65 when so many Upon his arrival in Mul- knowledged, explaining that The issue prompted major fray at last, he sought to make
people are jobless?” house, Macron literally ran the issue is about a lack of street protests in late 2019, a distinction between their
toward the small crowd wait- trained hospital staff, a situ- and Macron then had to campaigns, criticizing those
The 44-year-old leader ap- ing for him. He met some ation amplified in a region postpone his plans amid the candidates “who never go to
peared determined to explain supporters, but also angry, where many French seek COVID-19 crisis. meet opponents.”
his policies at length — but discouraged workers from a work in neighboring Ger-
sometimes grew impatient nearby public hospital who many and Switzerland where “We must work longer,” Ma- “I’m not going to meet only
when people kept contradict- came to challenge him. wages are higher. cron said. “It’s not true we people who like me,” he said.

WTO: War in Ukraine to curb trade, economic growth this year

(AP) — The World Trade war. It also cited the linger- that global gross domestic tional markets, Okonjo-
Organization predicted In the latest grim economic ing impact of the COVID-19 product at market exchange Iweala said.
Tuesday that trade in outlook to emerge, the Gene- pandemic — notably from rates will grow by 2.8% this
goods will grow much less va-based trade body pointed lockdowns in China. year, down from the 4.1% She expressed hopes for a
than previously expected to multiple uncertainties in previously anticipated. “humanitarian cover” to en-
this year, saying prospects its forecast over the next two “It’s now clear that the dou- sure that the harvest of 80%
for the global economy years because Russian and ble whammy of the pandem- Okonjo-Iweala said the war of Ukraine’s winter wheat in
have darkened since the Ukrainian exports of items ic and the war has disrupted has caused “immense human July can go forward, and that
onset of Russia’s war in like food, oil and fertilizers supply chains, increased in- suffering” in Ukraine and wheat can be planted in the
Ukraine. are under threat from the flationary pressures and low- its effect has rippled around country in September.
ered expectations for output the world, notably in poorer
and trade growth,” WTO Di- countries, adding: “A poten- The WTO outlook follows a
rector-General Ngozi Okon- tial food crisis is looming.” similarly downbeat forecast
jo-Iweala told reporters. from the World Bank.
She said high fuel prices and
The WTO said its projections expensive fertilizer pose a The Washington-based lend-
for world trade take into ac- threat to future crop yields, er said in a report Sunday that
count factors like the impact and the war has further the war in Ukraine is set to
of the war, sanctions on Rus- strained global supply chains inflict twice the amount of
sia and shrinking worldwide already under pressure. economic damage across Eu-
demand amid lower business rope and Central Asia that the
and consumer confidence. The WTO is part of a steer- COVID-19 pandemic did.
ing committee set up by
It said world merchandise U.N. Secretary-General An- It also said Ukraine’s econ-
trade volume is expected tonio Guterres to look into omy will shrink by 45.1%
to grow 3% this year, down the possible food crisis. The this year. Besides Ukraine,
from a forecast of 4.7% be- panel has discussed, among the report focused on central
fore the war began. For 2023, other things, whether coun- and Eastern Europe, former
it’s expected to increase 3.4%. tries with “additional buffer Soviet republics, the Balkan
stocks” of grain could release countries and Turkey.
The trade body also projects some supply into interna-