Did you miss the news this early morning? We’ve put together a recap to help you see things more clearly.
Emmanuel Macron can breathe. The National Assembly adopted, early Friday morning, in first reading the “emergency” bill for purchasing power after four days of debate under high tension between the majority and the opposition. Voted after a whole night of chaotic discussions, the government text was validated by 341 votes for, 116 against and 21 abstentions, with the contribution of the votes of deputies from LR and RN who welcomed certain measures going “in the right direction “.
The project adopted by the Assembly provides for the tripling to 6,000 euros of the tax-free premiums that companies can pay to their employees and a 4% increase in retirement pensions and several allowances (family, social minima) with retroactive effect from July 1, 2022
The firefighters will be able – a little – to breathe. The situation improved significantly on Thursday on the fire front both in France and in Portugal and Spain, where a large fire was stabilized in the northeast. In France, the two fires which have destroyed 20,800 hectares of forest in Gironde (south-west) for ten days and led to the evacuation of more than 36,000 people have not progressed, the firefighters still dealing with a few resumptions of fire, indicated local authorities.
About 6,000 residents were allowed to return to their homes on Thursday, according to the prefecture. In Spain, the Ateca fire in Aragon (north-east) evolved “very favorably” in the afternoon. And in Portugal, the fire in the province of Zamora (northwest), which resulted in the death of a firefighter and a shepherd on Sunday and Monday, was also controlled.
For more than three hours, there was no pilot on the plane. A total of 187 minutes separated the end of Donald Trump’s speech, when he encouraged tens of thousands of his supporters to “march” towards the Capitol, and the video in which he asked them to leave the premises. Thursday evening, during the eighth public hearing, the parliamentary commission of inquiry detailed what the former American president did during this time. And especially what he did not do: call Mike Pence or his generals.
Denouncing a presidential “absolute dereliction of duty”, the committee made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans announced new hearings – not scheduled – for September. Ahead of his final report, which could recommend criminal charges against Donald Trump. But it’s theattorney general (Minister of Justice) Merrick Garland who will have to decide whether there are grounds to indict an ex-president.