France

PARIS, Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France and Germany signed a €150 million (US$161.84 million) deal on Thursday to develop a prototype of the next generation fighter jet, a project seen as vital for Europe to defend itself without relying on allies in an increasingly uncertain world.

Dassault Aviation and Airbus will build the aircraft, which is expected to be operational from 2040 with a view to replacing Dassault’s Rafale and Germany’s Eurofighter warplanes over time.

PARIS, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- French lawmakers on Monday began debating the government's draft bill on pension reform, which had brought crowds into the streets and disruptions to transport services in December and January.

Defending a reform "whose ambition is great, even immense," the newly-appointed Solidarity and Health Minister Olivier Veran argued that an universal system "is the pillar of social protection."

"Today is the time for responsibility towards the French through a discussion that will take the time it needs," he addressed the National Assembly.

MUNICH (Germany), Feb 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France has warned Britain to expect a bruising battle with the EU in post-Brexit trade negotiations.

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian predicted the two sides would “rip each other apart” as they strove for advantage in the negotiations.

He also said it would be tough for the UK to achieve its aim of agreeing a free trade deal by the end of the year.

The UK government said it wanted a deal based on “friendly co-operation between sovereign equals”.

Munich, Feb 15 (AFP/PTI) French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday warned that Russia would continue to try to "destabilise" Western democracies through election interference, social media manipulation and other acts of cyber warfare.

"I think that Russia will keep trying to destabilise, either through private actors, directly through its agencies, or through proxies," Macron said at the Munich Security Conference, describing Moscow as "extremely aggressive" in this area.

PARIS, Feb 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) – European aircraft producer, Airbus, said that, the United States government’s decision to increase tariffs on aircraft imported from the European Union (EU), further escalates trade tensions between the U.S. and the EU.

The decision of the Office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), “further escalates trade tensions between the U.S. and the EU, thereby creating more instability for U.S. airlines, that are already suffering from a shortage of aircraft,” said the European plane maker in a statement.

16 February 2020; AFP: President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday France was growing "impatient" with the lack of German response to its push to strengthen the European Union after Brexit.

Asked at the Munich Security Conference if he was frustrated by Chancellor Angela Merkel's silence on his proposed reforms, Macron said: "I'm not frustrated, I'm impatient."

PARIS (Reuters) - Europe may have lost the battle to create digital champions capable of taking on U.S. and Chinese companies harvesting personal data, but it can win the war of industrial data, Europe’s industry policy chief said on Saturday.

Vast troves of data from how fast we drive our cars to how much time a robot needs to churn out products will open a new front in the battle for digital dominance, said Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner in charge of the bloc’s single market.

PARIS (Reuters) - Benjamin Griveaux, French President Emmanuel Macron’s preferred candidate for Mayor of Paris, said on Friday he had decided to withdraw his candidacy following what he said were “ignoble attacks” on his private life.

“I have decided to withdraw my candidacy from the municipal election,” Griveaux said in a televised address.

French media said Griveaux made the decision after the publication on the internet of sexual material concerning him.

13 February 2020; AFP: Airbus on Thursday reported a net loss of 1.36 billion euros in 2019 after being hit by a 3.6-billion-euro fine over a bribery scandal and extra development costs for the A400M transport aircraft.

The firm said operating profits rose to 6.9 billion euros ($7.5 billion), adding that it expected to deliver about 880 commercial planes in 2020 against 863 in 2019.

PARIS (Reuters) - Europe as a whole needs to have a strategic view regarding 5G telecoms networks, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said on Friday at a meeting with French finance minister Bruno Le Maire.

On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr stressed the threat posed by Huawei Technologies and said the United States and its allies should consider investing in Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson to counter the Chinese company’s dominance in next generation 5G telecoms technology.