Pension reform riot: A specter of yellow vests haunting Macron
In France, the Emmanuel Macron administration has been facing a new challenge in recent weeks after the "yellow vest" protests that swept the country in 2018. The controversial pension reform, which has been on the agenda for a long time, is causing protests across the country. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that more than 850 demonstrators had been detained over demonstrations against the reform. Moreover, daily life in the country has been paralyzed by union-led strikes and slowdowns.
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French Muslims accuse Macron of dividing society
It’s a joke when President Macron says ‘We are one’ while excluding Muslims, human rights activist tells Anadolu Agency
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Emmanuel Macron was welcomed by political leaders in Europe and the United States when he defeated his right-wing populist rival Marine Le Pen in the second round of the French presidential race in 2017.
The outrage over George Floyd’s death at the hands of a racist police officer, which triggered riots in 140 cities across the United States and forced President Donald Trump to threaten military action against protestors, highlighted the importance of "the streets." Attempts to reshape politics through street protests have repeatedly captured the world’s attention over the last three decades. The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, along with other anti-communist uprisings across Eastern Europe, was hailed as a new wave of democratization. Although that revolution resulted in Czechoslovakia’s partition, most observers celebrated its peaceful nature.
There is an emerging trend of popular protests all over the world. Citizens who are disenchanted by the conventional political system and procedures hit the streets to express their political and economic demands, or at least express their frustrations more vociferously. Especially the younger generations, who are less interested in regular electoral politics, have shown political consciousness in such a distinctive context.
The U.N. has unfortunately turned out to be a platform where the significance of multilateralism and global cooperation is increasingly ignored or even damaged
Violence by French police in the spotlight
It began on Nov. 17, 2018 as a protest against fuel price rises and quickly evolved into a middle-class revolt and subsequently into a movement against French President Emmanuel Macron, who is seen as "favoring the bosses." It spread across France with university students and even high school students joining in protests.
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The genesis of a global illusion
It is true that a dramatic and still unclear transformation is taking place in the world. France is currently facing a mass street uprising not as commonly experienced with left wing activism but this time rightist slogans hit the streets..
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Neither a populist discourse nor a violent uprising can help opposition win the upcoming elections, as Turkish democracy has recently proven how strong it is in the face of such crises
People in Western European countries have been on the streets for the last few months demanding something from their respective governments.
Although the protesters' anger is directed against French elitism, we cannot afford to ignore that the ongoing crisis is crucial to the future of Europe and democracies around the world
The Director of European Studies at SETA Foundation, Enes Bayraklı commented on the crises that Europe is facing lately and the yellow vest protest in France which are directly related to these crises.
The spreading disorder in Europe has recently haunted France, putting the country's democracy to a huge test and alarming after EU states as well
LES ATTAQUES DU PKK/PYD A L’ENCONTRE DES INSTITUTIONS ET DES CITOYENS TURCS EN EUROPE DU 01.01.2017 AU 15.03.2017
