Latest from Local France
Local France
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Local France
Four French policemen to stand trial for beating black musician
On the evening of November 21, 2020, Michel Zecler was beaten up in his Parisian music studio after police confronted him for a supposed "strong smell of cannabis" and for not wearing a mask, as required at the time because of Covid. The four-minute ordeal ruptured his left biceps tendon. The policemen's accusations of "violence" and "rebellion" against Zecler were quickly dismissed, and video footage released five days later contradicted the initial police account. The policemen will stand trial for illegal use of force, a source close to the case said Friday, though they will not face aggravated hate-crime charges, even though Zecler said at least one of the policemen made racist comments. Prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence to classify the attack as a hate crime. "We regret that the aggravating circumstance of racism was not retained, despite the evidence gathered and testimony that confirmed it," said Caroline Toby, Zecler's lawyer. Advertisement "Nevertheless, the court decided that the accused should answer for their actions before a criminal court, and took into account the seriousness of their actions," she added. At the time, President Emmanuel Macron said the police's actions were "unacceptable" and "shameful". The policemen later admitted the use of excess force and two of them have already spent a month in jail. This trial "is consistent with the reality of this case, namely that at no time has it been established that racist remarks were made by the police officers", said Jean-Christophe Ramadier, the lawyer of one of the officers.
Local France
3 hours ago
- Health
- Local France
France bans smoking in beaches, in parks and bus shelters
The decree, published in the official government gazette on Saturday, will also ban smoking outside libraries, swimming pools and schools, and is aimed at protecting children from passive smoking. The decree did not mention electronic cigarettes. Violaters of the ban will face a fine of 135 euros ($158). "Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children," Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin had said in May, underscoring "the right of children to breathe pure air". Cafe terraces are excluded from the ban. Some 75,000 people are estimated to die from tobacco-related complications each year in France. According to a recent opinion survey, six out of 10 French people (62 percent) favour a smoking ban in public places.
Local France
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Local France
French senator accused of spiking colleague's drink sent for trial
Two investigating magistrates sent Senator Joel Guerriau for trial for the alleged November 2023 incident, said the source, confirming a report by France 2's Complement d'enquete, an investigative television programme. The judges' report, seen by AFP, says Guerriau, 67, is suspected of having spiked a glass of champagne with ecstasy that his colleague Sandrine Josso, now 49, was drinking. His intention, they alleged, was to rape or sexually assault her. Guerriau will also be tried for possession of drugs. "Joel Guerriau contests the allegations against him," said his lawyers, Henri Carpentier and Marie Roumiantseva. The truth will come in court "far from the caricatures and rumours put about until now", they added. "Mr Guerriau does not fear the truth: he desires it." Josso's lawyer Arnaud Godefroy said she was relieved at the decision, "which reflects the seriousness of her complaint". France's Horizons party, led by former prime minister Edouard Philippe, suspended Guerriau in November 2023 after he was formally charged with drugging Josso as part of a plot to carry out a sexual assault. Guerriau has denied any intention to sexually assault the lawmaker and has rejected the accusation that he deliberately drugged her, describing it as a "handling error". Advertisement The allegations against the senator come months after Frenchman Dominique Pelicot was jailed for 20 years for repeatedly drugging his wife so he and strangers could rape her. The shocking case, involving scores of men, received international coverage after his former wife, Gisele Pelicot, waived her right to anonymity and insisted on a public trial. Earlier this month, the French Senate passed a bill to include lack of consent in the country's criminal definition of rape, paving the way for its official adoption as law. Consent-based rape laws already exist in several European countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.
Local France
14 hours ago
- Health
- Local France
MAP: Will your part of France be a priority for more doctors?
France's long-standing problem of ' deserts medicaux ' (medical deserts) where there are severe shortages of healthcare professionals, especially GPs, has inspired many different plans. The latest one is to require GPs to do outreach work in areas with a doctor shortage - and now the government has unveiled a list of the priority areas for this type of help. On Friday the health ministry unveiled a list of 151 'priority' areas judged to have the worst problems with healthcare access. Advertisement The below map is from the French health ministry , but French regional newspaper Ouest France has created an interactive and zoomable version which you can find here . Map of the 151 priority areas for extra doctors. Map: French health ministry In total around two-thirds of the country has some problems with healthcare access, but these 151 are judged to be the top priority. These are the areas which will, from September 1st, benefit from the 'solidarity' scheme, in which GPs will be required to do a certain number of days of outreach work per month in designated medical deserts. They have also been earmarked as priority areas for the first cadre of newly-qualified doctors who have come through medical school since training places were expanded. They will begin to qualify from November 2026. Yannick Neuder, the minister responsible for access to healthcare, told BFM TV: "With this map, which identifies 151 priority inter-communities for access to healthcare, we're not solving medical deserts, since they affect 87 percent of the country, but it's a first step that will benefit around two million patients. He said that the list was created due to work 'carried out with local préfets, regional health agencies, local elected representatives and healthcare professionals, to identify particularly badly affected areas." READ ALSO : What to do if you live in one of France's 'medical deserts'✎
Local France
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Local France
Pensions conclave: What changes for retirement in France?
On Thursday, after four months of discussions between the government, employers and moderate unions broke up, France's Prime Minister François Bayrou extended – again – the deadline to mid-July to allow agreement on sticking points. There has been no big breakthrough on the issue that has convulsed French politics since 2019, but a few small but important details have been agreed. 'Contrary to what has been said and written, the work of this conclave has been remarkably useful,' Bayrou told journalists. Advertisement 'Having taken stock of the steps forward and having spoken with each of the organisations, I am impressed by the progress that has been made in four months.' Government spokesperson Sophie Primas told BFM TV: 'No agreement is signed, but we are moving forward … The Prime Minister is right not to give up, to continue to believe in social dialogue.' So, what was agreed? Retirement age As a reminder, this Conclave is about pensions, specifically Emmanuel Macron's highly controversial pension reform that - among other things - raised the French pension age from 62 to 64. On the age issue, nothing changes. Perhaps the key point was that those around the table – some unions, for example, refused to participate – 'accepted the principle of returning to balance in 2030' and 'not to question the age conditions set by the 2023 law', Bayrou said. That means the retirement age will go up, as planned, to 64. The change is already being phased in for people who retire over the next few years. So what was agreed? There were, however, important breakthroughs on other issues including pensions for mothers, for those who have taken career breaks and for foreigners working in France. Conclave has agreed to 'improve the situation of people, especially those who have had interrupted careers, more often women'. Progress was made to 'significantly and immediately improve' the pension rights of women who have had children. 'Instead of using the 25 best years to calculate retirement pensions, women who have had one child will gain one year, with the reference figure reduced to 24 years,' Bayrou said. Advertisement 'Those who have had two or more children, they will gain two years, with the reference reduced to 23 years. In addition, an agreement was reached on 'early retirement for long careers, thereby gaining two quarters of maternity leave'. There was also a deal reached on people who have taken career breaks or who have not worked a full career in France. Bayrou announced a compromise had been reached to reduce the retirement age at full pay from 67 to 66-and-a-half. This potentially affects foreigners who have 'blended careers' - ie they have worked some years in France and some years in another country, and plan to retire in France. Because French pensions are based on contributions, those who have not worked a full career in France will get a lower pension (although they likely likely also be entitled to a pension from other countries they have worked in) - however the 'full pension age' means that people with an incomplete French career can either retire at 64 on a lower rate, or can continue working until they are 67 (now 66 1/2) and benefit from a higher amount. Advertisement If you check out your French pension via the info-retrait site, you will see your estimated monthly pension amount based on whether you retire at 64, or at 67. For those who only worked for part of their career in France, the figure for retiring at 67 is significantly higher. READ ALSO : EXPLAINED: The website to help you calculate your French pension✎ 'Arduous' jobs Unions want employees in arduous or dangerous jobs for a long time to be able to retire early, regardless of their health, but employers want to make early retirement conditional on the establishment of incapacity by a doctor. Bayrou insisted compromise was 'within reach', and said negotiations would continue in the coming days. What next? Talks will continue but in the immediate future are two no-confidence votes on the prime minister over this issue, deposed by Parti Socialiste. It's not thought that these will succeed. READ ALSO OPINION: Another week, another attempt to bring down the French government The head of government also announced 'a legislative approach' in the autumn to 'answer all the questions raised' and, in the absence of agreement on the most delicate points, said he was ready to include 'compromise provisions' in the next Social Security budget. France's largest union, the CFDT, however, has refused to enter the ongoing talks. 'We do not want any new negotiation sessions,' Secretary General Marylise Léon told AFP. Advertisement She said that the two final sticking points identified by François Bayrou in reaching an agreement with employers, on arduous work and the overall financing of the system, were 'two extremely important and structuring elements of the discussions.' Bayrou – in Briançon – fired back, saying that if unions and employers step down from negotiations, 'we will decide'. He said the next Social Security budget would include 'a text, whether there has been a prior agreement or whether there has only been preparatory work for an agreement'.
