In December, the news was animated by the COP28 in Dubai, the very controversial adoption of the immigration law, and again and again by the war in Ukraine as well as that between Israel and Hamas. In ten drawings, “La Matinale” looks back at the highlights of the past month.
Tightening of the conditions for family reunification, modification of access to social benefits, questioning of the automaticity of land law… If the executive congratulated itself on a “victory” after the adoption of the bill on immigration, Tuesday, December 19, concessions to the right and support from the far right caused a deep divide within the majority, where there were 59 votes against or abstentions, as well as the resignation of the Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau.
Opened on November 30 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) concluded on Wednesday, December 13, with an agreement described as “historic.” . After a sleepless night and hours of negotiations between delegations from nearly two hundred countries, a compromise text was adopted, mentioning for the first time fossil fuels and the need for a “transition” to get out of them.
The Israeli army extended its offensive towards the south of the Gaza Strip on Monday, December 4, giving the order to evacuate an area inhabited by nearly 120,000 people and 50,000 displaced people. The Jewish state is mainly targeting Khan Younes, the largest city in the south of the enclave, which it considers to be a Hamas stronghold. Trapped, many residents fled to Rafah, on the Egyptian border.
In New York, the Security Council adopted a resolution on Friday, December 22, intended to improve humanitarian aid sent to Gaza, but without calling for an immediate ceasefire. Israel continues its bombing campaign, and the latest report from the health ministry in the Hamas-administered Gaza Strip shows 21,670 deaths in the enclave – including 6,300 women and 8,800 children.
The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday, December 27, rejected an attempt to disqualify Donald Trump from the Republican primary for the 2024 presidential election in this northern US state. The plaintiffs demanded that the former president be prevented from appearing on the ballot on the grounds that he “participated in an insurrection,” referring to the assault on the Capitol. Similar actions have been presented in several other states. While Minnesota also rejected them, Colorado and Maine declared Donald Trump ineligible due to his actions on January 6, 2021. The billionaire is the favorite in the Republican primaries, which will begin in Iowa on January 15, 2024.
On Wednesday, December 6, the American president failed to convince the Republican opposition to vote for an envelope of more than $106 billion (€95.9 billion), including funds for Ukraine and Israel. . Conservative elected officials condition the vote for this aid on a clear tightening of American migration policy. On Tuesday, December 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a whirlwind visit to Washington to try to plead his country’s case. On Tuesday, December 19, Republicans again blocked $61 billion in aid to kyiv. The next vote is scheduled for early 2024.
The European Union decided on Thursday, December 14, to open accession negotiations with Ukraine. The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, walked out of the European Council room at the time of the decision and left his twenty-six counterparts to decide without him. However, for several weeks he had been threatening to veto it, arguing that Ukraine is “corrupt”, “at war”, and that its entry would destabilize the community structure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately reacted to the news: “This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires and strengthens. »
Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced on Friday, December 8, his candidacy for the presidential election to be held from March 15 to 17, 2024. The territories occupied by Russia in eastern and southern Ukraine will also take is going to the ballot, the Russian electoral commission announced on Monday, December 11.
Aged 71, Vladimir Putin was president from 2000 to 2008 and has been again since 2012. There is little doubt about his re-election for a fifth term, after nearly a quarter of a century in power and the repression of opposition.
After a tense interview with Manuel Bompard, the number two of La France insoumise (LFI), by Ruth Elkrief, Jean-Luc Mélenchon caused a scandal on Sunday, December 3, by calling the LCI journalist “manipulative” on X (ex -Twitter). “If we don’t insult Muslims, this fanatic becomes indignant,” he continued. Monday, December 4, the journalist was placed under police protection at the request of the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, shocked that “a target was being put on Ms. Elkrief’s back.” As for the President (Les Républicains) of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, he told the leader of LFI, Wednesday December 6, on RTL, to “shut [his] mouth”, describing the former candidate’s message as “irresponsible”. in the presidential election.
