Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 16 May 2017

France: President Macron names PM, meets with Merkel

By SYLVIE CORBET Pen in the May 7 presiden- Union, to take the right de- France, he said, “is today to come neither from the
GEIR MOULSON tial runoff, and now they cisions together.” the only big country in the mainstream left nor the
Associated Press hope that Macron can The 28-nation EU faces European Union that, for right parties.
BERLIN (AP) — French deliver the economic up- complex divorce proceed- more than 30 years, has Philippe, the mayor of
President Emmanuel Ma- turn that his predecessors ings with Britain, its current not succeeded in beating the Normandy port of Le
cron hit the ground run- couldn’t. No. 2 economy. When Brit- the problem of mass un- Havre, is a trained lawyer
ning Monday on his first full Macron is the conserva- ain leaves the bloc in 2019, employment.” and an author of political
day in office by naming tive Merkel’s fourth French France will be the EU’s Macron also declared thrillers. He is a member of
a prime minister from the the Republicans, a main-
center-right and then flying stream-right party whose
to Germany, where he and candidate Macron beat in
Chancellor Angela Merkel the first round of the elec-
pledged to work together tion. Philippe could possibly
to undertake European re- attract other Republicans
forms. to Macron’s cause. Alain
At home, Macron started Juppe, a former prime
to shape his government minister, called Philippe “a
by appointing relatively man of great talent” with
little-known lawmaker Ed- “all the qualities to handle
ouard Philippe, 46, as his the difficult job.”Macron
prime minister. That made also is siphoning off support
good on a promise to re- from lawmakers on the left.
populate French politics At least 24 Socialists are
with new faces and rein- now campaigning for re-
forced the generational election under the banner
shift under Macron, who of Macron’s Republic on
at 39 is France’s youngest the Move party.
president. Merkel wished Macron luck
Then, a large crowd out- in the legislative elections.
side the chancellery wel- She held out the possibil-
comed Macron to Berlin, ity of deep reform to the
with some waving Euro- 19-nation eurozone if it is
pean Union flags. Macron deemed necessary, say-
and Merkel were all smiles New French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel wave to ing she’s prepared to talk
inside, and the German journalists at the chancellery in Berlin Monday, May 15, 2017, during the first foreign trip of Macron about changes to the EU
after his inauguration the day before.
leader declared that “Eu- (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP) treaties — a cumbersome
rope will only do well if and politically risky pro-
there is a strong France, president in nearly 12 years only member with nuclear there needs to be “a Eu- cess.
and I am committed to as chancellor. Some me- weapons and a perma- rope that protects our “First we need to work on
that.” dia have dubbed the pair nent seat on the U.N. Secu- citizens better.” Together what we want to do, and
Germany and France “Merkron” — a reference rity Council. with Germany, he said, he then if it turns out it needs
have traditionally been the to the “Merkozy” moniker Macron made clear his wants to work on “a com- treaty changes, then we
motor of European integra- used for Merkel and Nico- determination to tackle his mon road map for the Eu- — or at least I — will be
tion, but the relationship las Sarkozy, France’s con- country’s problems. ropean Union and the eu- prepared to do that,” she
has become increasingly servative leader from 2007- “The French agenda will rozone.” said. European countries
lopsided in recent years as 12. be an agenda of reform Macron faces his first big must not dig in their heels
France struggled economi- Merkel called for “new dy- in the coming months, test next month in legisla- and say changes can nev-
cally. namism” in the countries’ in economic, social and tive elections that will de- er be made, she added,
German leaders were relationship. She said she educational terms,” he termine how far he is able as “a European Union that
hugely relieved by the in- was “aware of the respon- said. “Not because Europe to advance his reform behaves this way would be
dependent centrist’s rout sibility, at a very critical requests it, but because agenda. He is the first presi- vulnerable from every cor-
of far-right rival Marine Le moment for the European France needs it.” dent of modern France ner of the world.” q
Back to the drawing board: Dutch govt coalition talks fail

By MIKE CORDER poverty in North Africa and “We all tried to bring to- the right-wing, anti-Islam, He could replace the
Associated Press the Middle East. gether an almost impos- anti-immigration populist Green Left party at the
THE HAGUE, Netherlands The behind-closed-doors sible combination,” said whose party is the second negotiating table with the
(AP) — Dutch talks on form- negotiations were be- Green Left leader Jesse largest in the Dutch Parlia- small, faith-based party
ing a four-party govern- tween election winner the Klaver. “Today, it turned ment’s lower house, called Christian Union.
ment coalition collapsed People’s Party for Freedom out that the differences the collapse “very good A coalition of Rutte’s VVD,
Monday over differences and Democracy, or VVD, were too great.” news.” He said his Party for the Christian Democrats,
on migration policy. led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s VVD and the Chris- Freedom is “fully available” D66 and the Christian Union
Migration policy was one Rutte, the Christian Demo- tian Democrats both advo- to join any future coalition- would have a one-seat
of the most divisive issues crats, the centrist D66 par- cated a tough migration building talks. majority with 76 seats in the
in the March parliamentary ty and pro-environment policy in the latest election However, Rutte and other 150-seat lower house.
vote, as the Netherlands — Green Left party. campaign while the Green mainstream party leaders Dutch lawmakers will likely
along with other wealthy “The four parties in the end Left wanted a more gener- have repeatedly said they debate about the govern-
Western European nations could not bridge the differ- ous approach toward peo- will not work with Wilders. ment formation process
— grappled with how best ences on migration policy,” ple fleeing war and repres- Rutte will now have to start before a new round of talks
to cope with the stream of Rutte told reporters in The sion. the hunt for new possible is scheduled.q
migrants fleeing war and Hague In a tweet, Geert Wilders, coalition partners.