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WORLD NEWS Thursday 1 June 2017

2 ministers in French president’s government under scrutiny

By SYLVIE CORBET ization of political life.”
Associated Press Government spokesman
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- Christophe Castaner told
dent Emmanuel Macron reporters after a Cabi-
on Wednesday justified his net meeting that Macron
choice to back two min- stressed the “need for trans-
isters in his government parency” in French politics.
whose past actions have The government is now
clouded the new leader’s promising to establish “new
effort to clean up politics. rules” for a “new world”
Macron said that only the that requires more ethics
justice system, and not me- into politics, Castaner said.
dia reports, can decide He acknowledged some
whether Territorial Cohe- experienced government
sion Minister Richard Fer- members used to have
rand and European Affairs practices from the “former
Minister Mareille de Sarnez
will be prosecuted. world” that are legal, but
Ferrand is suspected of not tolerated anymore by
past business practices French public opinion.
that benefited his roman- Justice Minister Francois
tic partner during the time Bayrou is preparing a law,
when he led an insurance to be formally presented
company. on June 14, aiming at es- French President Emmanuel Macron, flanked by Admiral Bernard Rogel, right, and Secretary Gen-
Sarnez is among 19 people tablishing more transparent eral of the Elysee presidential Palace Alexis Kohler, 3rd right, chairs a weekly Defense Council in
the Jupiter room at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Wednesday, May 31, 2017.
under investigation over rules. (Charles Platiau/Pool Photo via AP)
their use of European Par- Weekly newspaper Le Ca-
liament assistants — alleg- nard Enchaine reported with both Ferrand’s ex-wife Wednesday. was at the center of the
edly for political activity in last week that the firm that and his current partner. Fer- Sarnez called the allega- scandal when press reports
France while they were on Ferrand led struck a rent- rand denied any wrongdo- tions against her “lies,” in- revealed his wife, Penel-
the parliament’s payroll. al deal with a company ing. No investigation has sisting her aide did actually ope, was richly paid as a
Both deny any wrongdo- owned by Ferrand’s com- been open. work for her at the Europe- parliamentary aide, alleg-
ing, but Macron’s govern- panion. “The question is am I hon- an parliament. edly without actually work-
ment is under pressure after This week, Le Monde news- est or not? The answer is During the presidential ing. French prosecutors
he campaigned widely on paper said the insurance that I am an honest man,” campaign, conservative have opened a probe into
what he called the “moral- company had contracts he told France Inter radio candidate Francois Fillon the allegations.q

Greece seeks bailout deal that will restore market access

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek side will not cre- commissioner urged rescue sible,” Moscovici said. “I tained at 1.3 percent are
Greece’s prime minister ate, or intensify, insecurity lenders to “act responsibly” will continue in the name too optimistic.
said Wednesday he will for investors,” he said in a and reach an agreement of the (European) Commis- Moscovici maintained that
only accept a deal to re- speech to industrialists. with Greece. sion to urge that all players the 1.3 percent target was
start loan payments from “(That would be) a solution Speaking in a video mes- act responsibly.” realistic.
international bailout lend- that secures stability, guar- sage , Pierre Moscovici said His message was recorded Greece lost market access
ers if it soothes edgy inves- antees a dynamic for eco- Athens had “delivered on in Brussels for an interna- in 2010 after radically un-
tors enough for the debt- nomic recovery and opens its commitments” on re- tional conference on the derreporting key financial
heavy country to “swiftly” the way for Greece to tap forms and budget cuts. Greek bailout taking place data. It has subsisted since
tap markets with trial bond money markets — initially, Greece is racing to con- in Frankfurt, Germany. on rescue loans, released
issues. and swiftly, through trial is- clude the deal ahead of The IMF and lead euro- on condition it implement-
Alexis Tsipras said Greece sues,” that will allow the a July spike in loan repay- zone lender Germany are ed harsh income cuts, tax
will work hard over the next country to cover its borrow- ments, and earlier this at odds over the degree hikes and market reforms.
two weeks with its Euro- ing needs from markets af- month agreed to another of relief needed to make While the measures helped
pean partners and the In- ter its bailout program ends round of austerity cuts that Greece’s massive national eradicate vast budget def-
ternational Monetary Fund in September 2018, Tsipras will see pensioners and sal- debt sustainable. icits, they contributed to
to reach a “clear” solution said. aried employees lose more According to Greek offi- a recession that cut more
by the next meeting of eu- “That is the measure of suc- of their income through cials, the IMF believes Euro- than a quarter off econom-
rozone finance ministers on cess,” he added. 2020. pean projections that long- ic output, with unemploy-
June 15. Earlier Wednesday, the “We will do everything to term economic growth ment hitting record peace-
“A clear solution for the European Union’s finance conclude as soon as pos- in Greece can be main- time levels. q