Did you miss the news this early morning? We’ve put together a recap to help you see things more clearly.
The PNF opens two investigations into the role of consulting firms in the 2017 and 2022 election campaigns
The last two presidential elections are in the sights of justice. The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office opened two judicial inquiries at the end of October, one “on the conditions of intervention of consulting firms in the electoral campaigns of 2017 and 2022”, the other on suspicions of “favouritism” concerning them, said indicated Thursday the prosecutor of the financial Republic Jean-François Bohnert in a press release. During the last presidential campaign, a Senate report had sparked heated discussions on the use of public funds and the opposition had called for an investigation into possible favoritism of the Macronist majority for the benefit of the consulting firm McKinsey. After an article from Le Parisien entitled “McKinsey case: Emmanuel Macron targeted by an investigation for illegal campaign financing”, the PNF on Thursday published a press release to “clarify the situation of various criminal proceedings” initiated after the Senate report as well as various complaints. and reports.
Borne and Scholz want to tune their violins in the name of Europe
Elisabeth Borne and Olaf Scholz meet in Berlin on Friday to tune the French and German violins in the name of Europe and make people forget their disagreements on defense and energy, amplified by the war in Ukraine. The French Prime Minister and the German Chancellor want to give “new impetus” to the tandem, the engine of European construction, like Emmanuel Macron and Mr. Scholz on October 26 in Paris. Elisabeth Borne will also meet Robert Habeck, vice-chancellor in charge of the Economy and the climate, received on Tuesday in Paris in a rather unprecedented way by the French president, who also spoke with the German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock. With the Russian offensive in Ukraine and the energy crisis it has generated, “we need Europe more than ever”, underlines the Prime Minister’s entourage.
kyiv strives to restore power to millions of Ukrainians plunged into darkness
Ukraine was working on Friday to repair energy infrastructure damaged by massive Russian strikes and to resupply millions of Ukrainians without heat and light as winter sets in. Ukraine’s energy system is on the verge of collapse and millions of people have suffered emergency power cuts in recent weeks. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow’s new strategy to plunge Ukraine into darkness would not weaken his country’s resolve. “It’s a war of strength, of resilience, it’s about who is the strongest,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday.