News about Bruno Le Maire

Having emerged with a shock victory on Sunday, new MPs from the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) alliance (top right) began visiting their new workplaces in parliament ahead of a first session on July 18. But the coalition of Greens, Socialists, Communists and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) is still debating who to put forward as a potential prime minister. And their most prominent figurehead, LFI leader Jean-Luc Melenchon (main), has been dismissed as a potential candidate not only by Macron's centrists but even by members of his own alliance (Macron bottom right). Meanwhile, France could face more economic turmoil if the NFP succeeds in implementing plans to roll back Macron's widely loathed 2023 pension reform amid threats from credit raters. The surprise victory of the NFP also set alarm bells ringing for the nation's wealthy over plans to roll out an eye-watering 90% income tax on high earners.

The first round of the French parliamentary election on Sunday propelled Marine Le Pen's hard right National Rally party closer than ever to government. Le Pen's opponents in the left-wing alliance of the New Popular Front, as well as President Macron's weakened centrists, are all seeking to deny the hard right an absolute majority by rallying supporters in high-stakes campaigning this week. Macron's finance minister Bruno Le Maire, who hails from the centre-right, has ruled out voting for either Le Pen's National Rally or the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, saying both are unacceptable options that would harm the values of France and wreak havoc on the country's economy. Le Pen, meanwhile, accused Macron of mounting an 'administrative coup d'etat' by appointing state officials she claimed would obstruct any government appointed by the National Rally, which could seal a working a working majority in parliament.

Candidates from the hard-right have already scooped 38 confirmed seats by winning outright with more than 50% of the first-round votes in their constituencies. By contrast, candidates from Macron's alliance secured just two seats on Sunday, prompting the president to call on the left to create a 'broad alliance' to block the hard-right from ascending to power. Third-place candidates who qualified for the second round have been urged to drop out to present a united front against the far right. But instead of mounting one last defiant bout of campaigning this week, sources say Macron cut a morose and dejected figure as he met with ministers yesterday, making 'no effort to galvanise his troops'. The President gave no firm instructions to candidates over standing down, sources said - while some of his ministers cautioned voters against plumping for hard-left candidates.

Emmanuel Macron (right) last night took to the dais to deliver a national address to the French people after his Renaissance party suffered a drubbing at the hands of arch-rival Marine Le Pen's National Rally in Europe's parliamentary elections. Most expected Macron to merely acknowledge the loss while insisting he remains a stalwart of democracy and European integration. But instead, the French president sensationally called a snap election that will see his electorate head to the polls for a second time in less than a month in what was described by finance minister Bruno Le Maire as 'the most consequential election in the history of the Fifth Republic'. In doing so, Macron may have beckoned the downfall of his German counterpart Olaf Scholz (left), who is now facing a litany of calls in his own country to follow suit. The Chancellor's critics say his party's woeful performance in this weekend's European elections tarnished his mandate to govern at home and urged him to offer the German people the chance to choose a new government (Putin inset)

Shell chief Wael Sawan is having trouble pleasing all investors all of the time. In spite of reporting better than expected first-quarter profits of $7.7bn (£6.2bn) shareholders are disgruntled. One group demands bigger payouts and another is critical of Sawan rolling back climate change goals and wants better progress on Paris-set emission targets.

French air traffic control called a one-day nationwide strike for Thursday, designed to force the cancellation of at least 70 per cent of flights over France . Nothing unusual in that: such strikes are as common in France as bank holiday rain in Britain. In the event the strike was called off when France's equivalent of the Civil Aviation Authority made a last-minute increased pay offer - too late to avoid widespread disruption, with about 50 per cent of flights still grounded. The air traffic control unions showed their gratitude by calling another, longer strike over a holiday weekend in May over other proposed changes to their working conditions.

Magali Berdah, France's "queen of influencers," spent this week to depose 28 internet trolls who threatened her in prison. The mother-of-three told the jury how she had suffered such violence, including anti-semitic and misogynistic abuse, that she had come 'within a whisker of throwing (herself) out the window.' She accuses chart-topping rapper Booba of promoting trolling, and though he was not jailed on Tuesday, she was charged with harrassing the TV star in a separate lawsuit in October. Both household names in France have been embroiled in a bitter feud since 2022, when Booba, better known as Élie Yaffa, launched a movement against 'influvoques', or "thieving influencers.'

Boeing CEO Guillaume Faury told the Europe 2024 conference in Berlin that the company's highly publicized safety woes are damaging the aerospace industry's reputation. It comes after a string of tragic incidents unfolded onboard Boeing jets in recent months - from a wheel falling from an Osaka-bound aircraft early March to a panel blowing off a plane shortly after it took off from San Francisco last week.

In an interview with Le Monde newspaper, finance minister Bruno Le Maire (pictured) predicted that the deficit for 2023 would have been'significantly' above target and that further budget cuts were required.

Carfour, France's second largest supermarket, has begun to label the items concerned with labels: "This product has seen its weight decrease and the price charged by our supplier has increased." The move, which came after rival Intermarché's similar decision, is intended to prevent shoppers from being deceived by products that have shrunk in size without having to pay a corresponding reduction in price. At the same time, French government ministers have described it as a "swindle" and a plot to reform the legislation to pressure manufacturers to be transparent. The tactic has risen to epidemic proportions in supermarket aisles, ranging from Andrex toilet tissue to Lurpak butter, McVitie's Digestives, Penguin multipacks, Fairy Liquid, Pringles tubes, and even large chocolate bars cut in size.

Local people consoled a French mayor who was rammed by rioters during a walkabout after a 'assassination attempt' on his family. In the early hours of Sunday morning, a blast took place at Vincent Jeanbrun's home in L'Hay-les-Roses, France. The riots were sparked by the death of 17-year-old grandson Nahel Merzouk, who was reportedly 'executed' by police during a traffic stop. Following widespread demonstrations in France that have raged for five days, 719 people have been arrested. Residents are seen congratulating the stricken mayor, with one man saying, 'We're with you, Mister Mayor.'

According to a survey, shoppers in the United Kingdom are paying more for ketchup, toilet paper, mayonnaise, and butter than those in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. According to a supermarket price survey, cheese, pet food, sugar, and toothpaste are all more popular in the UK than in any other countries. According to customer analysts Circana's survey, the United Kingdom is the cheapest among the six countries for nappies and frozen pizza, as well as the joint cheapest for rice. When the total cost of 23 items was factored in, the UK was the fourth most expensive at £51.72, with Germany the most affordable at £547.25 and France the priciest at £67.57. Toilet paper in the United Kingdom was £3.80 in Britain, pricier than £2.66 in Italy, £3.30 in Spain, £3.33 in the Netherlands, and £3.45 in France – a stark comparison. In Britain, a bottle of ketchup was £1.91, compared to £1.37 in France, £1.55 in Spain, £1.60 in Spain, £1.80 in Italy, and £1.89 in Italy.

After Credit Suisse was miraculously saved yesterday, the Bank of England has rushed to put people at ease by claiming that Britain's banking system is'secure and'sound.' In a spectacular shotgun wedding of two of Switzerland's most respected financial companies, rival USB purchased Switzerland's second largest lender. The tie-up managed to prevent Credit Suisse's 'unthinkable' financial meltdown, which would have been the biggest financial crisis since the 2008 banking crisis. The Bank of England revealed it had been'engaging closely with international counterparts' before the takeover and promised that the UK's financial market would survive the storm. The UK banking system is well-funded and financed, and it is safe and sound,' it said.

After increasing its bid to more than $2 billion, UBS has decided to purchase Credit Suisse, the Financial Times announced on Sunday. According to the FT, UBS will pay more than 0.50 francs ($0.5401) per share in its own stock, considerably less than Credit Suisse's closing price of 1.86 francs on Friday. The Swiss National Bank has agreed to provide Credit Suisse with a $100 billion liquidity line as part of the offer, according to the FT, citing two people familiar with the situation.

According to reports, UBS is able to take over its struggling rival Credit Suisse, but only for a knockdown price. It comes as urgent talks aimed at rescuing the troubled bank from a bloodbath as the markets reopen. Both the central bank and financial regulators have been involved in talks with the government throughout the weekend, with the central bank and financial regulators all interested. UBS had been able to purchase it for up to $1 billion, according to the Financial Times, which was the first to announce the possibility of Switzerland's largest bank absorbing Credit Suisse.