1- Pensions: port and dock workers called to stop work
It is the turn of port and dock workers to go on strike on Thursday to protest against the pension reform. The CGT national federation of ports and docks has called on all sites in the country to stop work for twenty-four hours tomorrow. The union calls on the government to “withdraw his reform project” and to restore the retirement age at 60, or even 55 for difficult jobs. Dockers and port workers do not benefit from a special scheme but from a possibility of early retirement of four years in relation to the legal retirement age for hardship (set at 60).
🔴 Like last week, torchlight descents against the pension reform are planned for Thursday evening in several cities of
France like Paris and Brest.
Read also: The collective Our pensions denounces: “With the reform, everyone is a loser”
2 – The government takes stock of its environmental objectives
Emmanuel Macron meets Thursday, at the Elysée, the Prime Minister and several ministers as part of an ecological planning council. This meeting should specify what will be the main stages of the next few weeks on the environment and take stock sector by sector (transport, housing, etc.) of the trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions. For Elisabeth Borne, it is a matter of defining “what is the extra step to take” to enable France to meet its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. For the Prime Minister, “there will be very concrete measures but which do not divide the country”.
3 – A night to identify the homeless
The sixth edition of the Night of Solidarity is held on the night of January 26 to 27 in several French cities such as Paris, Marseille and Tours. The objective of this mobilization is to identify the number of homeless people and to better understand their profile. Volunteers, equipped with a questionnaire, meet in small groups to count the people on the street and discuss with them. This operation should then make it possible to improve accommodation policies. During the previous edition, in Paris, the Night of Solidarity made it possible to identify 2,598 homeless people, a figure down 8% over one year.
4 “Qatargate”: will the parliamentary assistant accused of corruption remain in prison?
Will his pre-trial detention be extended or will he come out hands free after a month and a half behind bars? Belgian justice will decide tomorrow on whether or not to extend the imprisonment of Francesco Giorgi, the parliamentary assistant and companion of Eva Kaili, former vice-president of the European Parliament. He is detained under the “Qatargate”, which has shaken the European Parliament since December 9.
The man, former right-hand man of ex-deputy Pier Antonio Panzeri, is accused like his boss of having taken part in a network which facilitated the interference of foreign powers in the European Parliament, in particular Qatar and Morocco, against large sums of cash. His partner, also indicted, saw his pre-trial detention extended on January 19.
Read also: Scandal around Eva Kaili: the President of the European Parliament promises measures against corruption
Corruption in the European Parliament: two MEPs did not declare trips to Qatar paid for by the emirate
5 The hour of judgment for the former minister Michel Mercier
The Paris Criminal Court will rule on Thursday on the guilt of former Keeper of the Seals and former centrist senator Michel Mercier, his wife Joëlle and their daughter Delphine. The former president of the General Council of the Rhône, aged 75, is on trial for embezzlement of public funds and illegal taking of interests. Four years in prison, including one firm, were required against him.
The investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF), aimed in particular at the use of fictitious family jobs – the two women were his parliamentary assistants -, began five years ago following revelations from Le Canard enchaîné. His daughter had worked for Michel Mercier from 2012 to 2014, while living in England; his wife had also used departmental funds between 1999 and 2012 to organize activities and demonstrations in favor of her husband’s interests.
6 – Singer Aya Nakamura and her ex-companion tried for mutual violence
Originally scheduled for November, the trial of the singer Aya Nakamura and his ex-companion Vladimir Boudnikoff for reciprocal violence must be held tomorrow in Bobigny. They must answer for “violence by spouse with ITT of less than eight days”, following a violent argument that occurred on the night of August 6 to 7. A court decision that comes on the eve of the release of the fourth album of the most listened to French-speaking singer in the world. A new opus baptized DNK in reference to the surname of the artist, Danioko. A sign of fans’ expectations and the popularity of Aya Nakamura, the three concert dates announced at the Accor Arena in Paris in May were already sold out a few hours after the tickets went on sale.
7 – The Angoulême comic book festival begins
After two years disrupted by the Covid, the Angoulême international comic book festival hopes to attract people (nearly 200,000 visitors in good years). The event, which celebrates its 50th anniversary, begins tomorrow. After the controversy that led to the cancellation of the exhibition of Bastien Vivès, place in the 9th art. Manga will be given pride of place, with the arrival of three world-famous mangakas: Hajime Isayama, the author of the phenomenon series Attack on Titan, Ryoichi Ikegami, the master of action manga, and Junji Ito, that of the horror manga.
Also on the program: an exhibition dedicated to the talented Philippe Druillet, another on colors, master classes, dedications… The grand jury, chaired this year by Alexandre Astier, the creator of the Kaamelott series, will award the Fauve d’or on Saturday. of the best album. In the meantime, the grand prize of the city of Angoulême will be awarded this evening to an author consecrated by his peers, for all of his work. As we close this newsletter, three contenders were vying for the title: Riad Sattouf, who has already won the Fauve d’or twice, Catherine Meurisse and the American Alison Bechdel.
Read also – Comic strip: these 6 albums that have marked the history of the Angoulême festival
