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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 9 September 2017

Macron ends Greek visit with surprise stroll through town

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS and spoke to a group of
Associated Press Greek Orthodox priests
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — outside Athens Cathedral.
Wrapping up a visit to Greek police, apparent-
Greece, French President ly caught by surprise by
Emmanuel Macron and the unscheduled walk,
his wife, Brigitte, departed blocked major streets
from the official program leading to the city center,
Friday to stroll down a leaving motorists and pas-
crowded central Athens sengers in public transport
shopping street, delighting stranded for about 45 min-
selfie-thirsty pedestrians utes.
but inconveniencing those Macron’s visit to Greece,
unfortunate enough to get four months after his elec-
stuck in the ensuing traffic tion victory, has focused
jams. on the Greek recovery as
Accompanied by plain- well as wider issues related
clothes security guards, to Europe’s future.
the couple posed for pic- Addressing a round-table
tures, shook hands and of Greek and French busi-
chatted to passers-by for ness leaders earlier on his
more than half an hour second and final day in
on the Ermou pedestrian Greece, Macron urged
French President Emmanuel Macron waves to the crowd as he walks with his wife Brigitte at Ermou street, near central Syn- European firms to step
Street, Athens’ main shopping area, on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. France’s president has called for tagma Square and the up their investments in
greater European investment in Greece to help offset the cash-strapped country’s increasing
reliance on non-European countries, notably China. Greek parliament. Greece, to help reduce
(AP Photo/Elena Becatoros) The president then met the cash-strapped coun-
try’s growing reliance on
Catalan officials defy Madrid on independence vote non-European countries,
notably China.
He said Greece was
ARITZ PARRA of the Catalan parliament Officials in the northeast- as long as there are no lia- “forced” to choose non-
Associated Press and the Barcelona-based ern region claim they have bilities for them or for public European investors “be-
MADRID (AP) — Regional regional government in enlisted 560 Catalan town servants. cause the Europeans were
leaders in Catalonia moved separate lawsuits. The pros- halls to open facilities for On Friday, the central gov- not there.”
Friday to defy the central ecutor’s document asked the ballot, despite letters ernment’s spokesman, Inigo French enterprises, Ma-
government in Madrid and judges to look into possible sent by Spain’s central au- Mendez de Vigo, clarified cron said with certainty,
go ahead with a vote on in- disobedience, abuse of thorities to the region’s 947 that legal actions are tar- would ramp up their in-
dependence even though power and embezzlement mayors warning them that geting “those who organize vestments in Greece, a
Spain’s constitutional court charges against the offi- their legal duty is to impede the vote” and not voters country that’s spent much
has ordered the vote sus- cials. But despite the court’s the vote. Authorities said themselves. The pro-inde- of the past decade hur-
pended. suspension of the vote and similar letters were being pendence coalition ruling tling from one crisis to the
While the pro-indepen- the legal threats, regional sent to public Catalan me- Catalonia says the vote will next and seen its economy
dence Catalan govern- President Carles Puigde- dia organizations and the be binding and that if the shrink by a quarter and un-
ment tried to flex its muscles, mont has pushed ahead regional police force. “yes” side wins it will lead employment and poverty
most of the opposition to the with preparations for the It wasn’t clear what posi- to the independence from levels swell alarmingly.
vote — both regional and ballot. An official website of- tion officials would take in Spain by Oct. 3 no matter “We want Korean, Chi-
national — rallied around fers volunteers the chance Barcelona, the main city in what the turnout. nese and American invest-
conservative Prime Minister to register and help with the Catalonia. On Friday, Rajoy’s cabinet ments, these are very im-
Mariano Rajoy and his ef- vote. A promotional video Barcelona Mayor Ada Co- began procedures to strike portant,” he said.
forts to crush the planned published in official media lau, an activist against evic- down a new bill approved “But if there are no Euro-
Oct. 1 ballot. asks: “You were born with tions who has become a overnight by Catalan pro- pean investors, then we
On Friday, the state pros- the ability to choose. Are rising political star, said peo- independence lawmakers. are forced to select non-
ecutor targeted members you going to give it up?” ple should be able to vote q European investors.”q