Far right bids for power as France holds parliamentary election

Far right bids for power as France holds parliamentary election
A voter casts his ballot a polling station at the Hotel de Ville (city hall) in Noumea, in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, on July 7, 2024, during the second round of France's legislative elections. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 07 July 2024
Follow

Far right bids for power as France holds parliamentary election

Far right bids for power as France holds parliamentary election
  • A longtime pariah for many due to its history of racism and antisemitism, the RN has increased its support on the back of voter anger at Macron, straitened household budgets and immigration concerns

PARIS: France holds a parliamentary run-off election on Sunday that will reconfigure the political landscape, with opinion polls forecasting the far-right National Rally (RN) will win the most votes but likely fall short of a majority.
Such an outcome could plunge the country into a chaotic hung parliament, severely denting the authority of President Emmanuel Macron. Equally, if the nationalist, euroskeptic RN did win a majority, the pro-business, pro-Europe president could find himself forced into a difficult “cohabitation.”
Marine Le Pen’s RN scored historic gains to win last Sunday’s first-round vote, raising the spectre of France’s first far-right government since World War Two.
But after centrist and leftist parties joined forces over the past week in a bid to forge an anti-RN barricade, Le Pen’s hopes of the RN winning an absolute majority in the 577-seat National Assembly seem less certain.
Polls suggest the RN will become the dominant legislative force, but fail to reach the 289-seat majority that Le Pen and her 28-year-old protégé Jordan Bardella believe would allow them to claim the prime minister’s job and drag France sharply rightward.
Polls open at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and close at 6 p.m. in towns and small cities and 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) in larger cities, with initial projections expected the moment voting ends, based on partial counts from a sample of polling stations.
Much will depend on whether voters follow the calls of leading anti-RN alliances to block the far right from power, or support far-right contenders.
Raphael Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament who led France’s leftist ticket in last month’s European vote, said he viewed Sunday’s run-off as a simple referendum on whether “the Le Pen family takes over this country.”
“France is on the cliff-edge and we don’t know if we’re going to jump,” he told France Inter radio last week.
A longtime pariah for many due to its history of racism and antisemitism, the RN has increased its support on the back of voter anger at Macron, straitened household budgets and immigration concerns.
“French people have a real desire for change,” Le Pen told TF1 TV on Wednesday, adding that she was “very confident” of securing a parliamentary majority.
Even if the RN falls short, it looks set to more than double the 89 seats it won in the 2022 legislative vote, and become the dominant player in an unruly hung parliament that will make France hard to govern.
Such an outcome would risk policy paralysis until Macron’s presidency ends in 2027, when Le Pen is expected to launch her fourth bid for France’s top job.

WHAT NEXT FOR MACRON?
Macron stunned the country and angered many of his political allies and supporters when he called the snap election after a humbling by the RN in last month’s European parliamentary vote, hoping to wrong-foot his rivals in a legislative election.
Whatever the final result, his political agenda now appears dead, three years before the end of his presidency.
Bardella says the RN would decline to form a government if it doesn’t win a majority, although Le Pen has said it might try if it falls just short.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who looks likely to lose his job in the post-election shakeup, has dismissed suggestions Macron’s centrists could seek to form a cross-party government in the event of a hung parliament. Instead, he would like moderates to pass legislation on a case-by-case basis.
An RN majority would force Macron into an awkward “cohabitation” with Bardella as prime minister, with thorny constitutional tussles and questions on the international stage about who really speaks for France.
If the RN is deprived of a majority and declines to form a government, modern-day France would find itself in uncharted territory. Coalition building would be difficult for any of the blocs given the policy differences between them.
French assets have risen on expectations the RN won’t win a majority, with banking shares up and the risk premium investors demand to hold French debt narrowing. Economists question whether the RN’s hefty spending plans are fully funded.
An RN-led government would raise major questions over where the European Union is headed given France’s powerful role in the bloc, although EU laws are almost certain to restrict its plans to crack down on immigration.
For many in France’s immigrant and minority communities, the RN’s ascent has already sent a clear and unwelcoming message.
“They hate Muslims, they hate Islam,” said 20-year-old cinema student Selma Bouziane, at a market in Goussainville, a town near Paris. “They see Islam as a scapegoat for all of France’s problems. So it’s bound to be negative for the Muslim community.”
The RN pledges to reduce immigration, loosen legislation to expel illegal migrants and tighten rules around family reunification. Le Pen says she is not anti-Islam but that immigration is out of control and too many people take advantage of France’s welfare system and creaking public services.


Bangladesh court begins first trial of Hasina-era officials

Bangladesh court begins first trial of Hasina-era officials
Updated 44 sec ago
Follow

Bangladesh court begins first trial of Hasina-era officials

Bangladesh court begins first trial of Hasina-era officials
  • Court in Dhaka accepted a formal charge against eight police officials in connection to the killing of six protesters on August 5 last year
  • It is the first formal charge in any case related to killings in last year’s student-led uprising that ended Hasina’s iron-fisted rule of 15 years

DHAKA: Bangladesh began the first trial on Sunday at a special court prosecuting former senior figures connected to the ousted government of Sheikh Hasina, the chief prosecutor said.

The court in the capital Dhaka accepted a formal charge against eight police officials in connection to the killing of six protesters on August 5 last year, the day Hasina fled the country as the protesters stormed her palace.

The eight men are charged with crimes against humanity. Four are in custody and four are being tried in absentia.

“The formal trial has begun,” Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of Bangladesh’s domestic International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), told reporters.

“The prosecution believes that this prosecution will be able to prove the crimes done by the accused,” he said.

It is the first formal charge in any case related to the killings during last year’s student-led uprising, which ended Hasina’s iron-fisted rule of 15 years.

Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 when Hasina’s government launched a brutal campaign to silence the protesters, according to the United Nations.

The list of those facing trial includes Dhaka’s former police commissioner, Habibur Rahman, who is among those being tried in absentia.

Hasina also fled by helicopter to India, her old ally.

She remains in self-imposed exile, defying Dhaka’s extradition request to face charges of crimes against humanity.

The launch of the trials of senior figures from Hasina’s government is a key demand of several of the political parties now jostling for power as the South Asian nation awaits elections that the interim government has vowed will take place before June 2026.

Islam said the eight men were accused of “different responsibilities,” including the most senior for “superior command responsibility, some for direct orders.. (and) some for participation.”

He said he was confident of a successful prosecution.

“We have submitted as much evidence as required to prove crimes against humanity, both at a national and an international standard,” he said.

Among that evidence, he said, was video footage of the violence, as well as voice recordings of Hasina in “conversations with different people where she ordered the killing of the protesters using force and lethal weapons.”

The ICT was set up by Hasina in 2009 to investigate crimes committed by the Pakistani army during Bangladesh’s war for independence in 1971.

It sentenced numerous prominent political opponents to death over the following years and became widely seen as a means for Hasina to eliminate rivals.


Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea

Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea
Updated 7 min 58 sec ago
Follow

Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea

Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea
  • Vessel loaded with 84 metric tons of diesel and 367 metric tons of furnace oil
  • Strong water currents off Kerala complicate pollution response, expert says

NEW DELHI: India’s southern state of Kerala was on high alert Sunday after a Liberian-flagged vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off its coast.

The Indian Ministry of Defense said the 184-meter MSC Elsa 3 container ship was en route to Kochi from Vizhinjam on Saturday when it issued a distress call.

All 24 members of the vessel’s crew — which included nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines — were rescued by the Coast Guard and the Navy.

“The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide,” the ministry said.

It did not specify what other hazardous substances were onboard, but calcium carbide becomes dangerous on contact with water, producing acetylene gas, which is flammable and explosive.

The vessel was also loaded with more than 84 metric tons of diesel and 367 metric tons of furnace oil.

Diesel and furnace oil are both classified as marine pollutants. They are toxic to marine life and can contaminate coastal ecosystems.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority issued a public warning on Saturday, when the ship started losing containers in the Arabian Sea. The authority’s secretary told reporters that “there is a chance the cargo, including containers and oil, will wash ashore.”

The Indian Coast Guard has deployed spill detection systems.

“ICG aircraft equipped with advanced oil spill mapping technology are conducting aerial assessment of the affected area,” it said. “As of now, no oil spill has been reported.”

What complicates pollution response is strong currents off the coast of Kerala, which, if leakage occurs, may move the spill toward the south, to Alleppey and Kollam districts, Prof. Biju Kumar, dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Kerala, told Arab News.

“These are the best fishing grounds, as far as Kerala is concerned. Any kind of oil spill will have consequences that will affect marine life. The major issue will be the fish fauna,” he said.

“The major threat is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are the most toxic component in any oil. They may be absorbed by plankton, which is a major food source for the commercially available fish … The PAH will remain in the water for a longer time. It essentially means that we need long-term monitoring if it happens.”


Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea

Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea
Updated 25 May 2025
Follow

Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea

Kerala on alert as toxic cargo ship sinks in Arabian Sea
  • Vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide
  • All 24 members of the vessel’s crew, including nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Philippines, were rescued

NEW DELHI: India’s southern state of Kerala was on high alert Sunday after a Liberian-flagged vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off its coast.

The Indian Ministry of Defense said the 184-meter MSC Elsa 3 container ship was en route to Kochi from Vizhinjam on Saturday, when it issued a distress call.

All 24 members of the vessel’s crew — which included nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines — were rescued by the Coast Guard and the Navy.

“The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide,” the ministry said.

It did not specify what other hazardous substances were onboard, but calcium carbide becomes dangerous on contact with water, producing acetylene gas, which is flammable and explosive.

The vessel was also loaded with more than 84 metric tons of diesel and 367 metric tons of furnace oil.

Diesel and furnace oil are both classified as marine pollutants. They are toxic to marine life and can contaminate coastal ecosystems.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority issued a public warning on Saturday, when the ship started losing containers in the Arabian Sea. The authority’s secretary told reporters that “there is a chance the cargo, including containers and oil, will wash ashore.”

The Indian Coast Guard has deployed spill detection systems.

“ICG aircraft equipped with advanced oil spill mapping technology are conducting aerial assessment of the affected area,” it said. “As of now, no oil spill has been reported.”

What complicates pollution response is strong currents off the coast of Kerala, which if leakage occurs may move the spill toward the south, to Alleppey and Kollam districts, Prof. Biju Kumar, dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Kerala, told Arab News.

“These are the best fishing grounds, as far as Kerala is concerned. Any kind of oil spill will have consequences, which will affect marine life. The major issue will be the fish fauna,” he said.

“The major threat is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are the most toxic component in any oil. They may be absorbed by plankton, which is a major food source for the commercially available fish ... The PAH will remain in the water for a longer time. It essentially means that we need long-time monitoring if it happens.”


Spain hosts European, Arab nations to pressure Israel on Gaza

Spain hosts European, Arab nations to pressure Israel on Gaza
Updated 25 May 2025
Follow

Spain hosts European, Arab nations to pressure Israel on Gaza

Spain hosts European, Arab nations to pressure Israel on Gaza
  • Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares says the international community should look to sanction Israel to stop the war in Gaza
  • Madrid is hosting 20 countries alongside international organizations on Sunday with the aim of stopping the war

MADRID: The international community should look to sanction Israel to stop the war in Gaza, Spain’s foreign minister said, ahead of a Madrid meeting of European and Arab nations on Sunday to urge a halt to its offensive.
Countries Israel had long counted on as allies have been adding their voices to growing international pressure after it expanded military operations against Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whose 2023 attack on Israel sparked the devastating war.
A two-month aid blockade has worsened shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine in the Palestinian territory, sparking fears of famine.
Aid organizations say the trickle of supplies Israel allowed to enter in recent days falls far short of needs.
Madrid will host 20 countries as well as international organizations on Sunday with the aim of “stopping this war, which no longer has any goal,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told France Info radio.
Humanitarian aid must enter Gaza “massively, unimpeded, neutrally, so that it is not Israel who decides who can eat and who cannot,” he said.
A previous such gathering in Madrid last year brought together countries including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye as well as European nations such as Ireland and Norway that have recognized a Palestinian state.
Sunday’s meeting, which also includes representatives from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, will promote a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
After the European Union decided this week to review its cooperation deal with Israel, Albares said “we must consider sanctions, we must do everything, consider everything to stop this war.”
Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Palestinian militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed almost 54,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry.


Chinese PM in Indonesia to expand trade ties as US rivalry grows

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto (L) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspect a guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto (L) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspect a guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony.
Updated 25 May 2025
Follow

Chinese PM in Indonesia to expand trade ties as US rivalry grows

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto (L) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspect a guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony.
  • China wants to increase cooperation with Indonesia under Belt and Road Initiative, Li says
  • From Jakarta, he will head to Malaysia for the ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit

JAKARTA: Indonesia and China signed a series of agreements enhancing trade ties on Sunday, following Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s meetings with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta.

Li arrived in the Indonesian capital on Saturday for a three-day visit.

He was received by Prabowo with a guard of honor at the Presidential Palace on Sunday morning, where they witnessed the signing of 12 memoranda, including on investment, banking, cooperation between sovereign wealth funds, industry, supply chains, tourism, economy, and health.

“I reaffirm our commitment to strengthen this partnership with the People’s Republic of China … We view this relationship as bringing benefits not only to our two countries but also to the entire Asian region and possibly even the world,” Prabowo said during the meeting, as quoted by his office.

The visit comes against the backdrop of the US global trade war and intensifying geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing, which has lately seen China’s top leaders increase their regional outreach and engagement with Southeast Asian countries.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted Li as saying during talks with Prabowo that China is “willing to work with Indonesia to enhance alignment of development strategies and deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.”

The Belt and Road Initiative is a multibillion-dollar network of massive road, energy, port and industrial projects launched by Beijing in 2013 to connect China to the rest of Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Both China and Indonesia are members of the G20 forum of the world’s largest economies and in January this year, Indonesia joined the China-led BRICS grouping, which is also spearheaded by Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa.

Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian country to enter the bloc, which is the most powerful geopolitical forum outside of the Western world.

During Li’s visit, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia signed an agreement to increase business collaboration, bilateral trade and investment flows.

The Chinese premier’s delegation featured dozens of business leaders who met Indonesian entrepreneurs at the Indonesia-China Business Reception on Saturday, which was also attended by Prabowo and the Chinese premier.

“Indonesia-China trade reaches $130 billion a year, making China Indonesia’s largest trading partner. This is an opportunity to increase investment and create jobs,” Kadin chairman Anindya Novyan Bakrie said in a statement.

“When relations are good, licenses are certainly easier, and funding will be more accessible. For sure, we want more investment to boost the economy and create jobs.”

On Monday, Li will head to Malaysia for the ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit, attended by leaders from Southeast Asian countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council.