Buckingham Palace is ‘keeping a close eye on French riots’ and ‘will take advice from authorities’ ahead of Charles and Camilla’s State visit to Paris this week – as disruption continues tonight after President Macron narrowly survives a no-confidence vote
- An unpopular pension reform by President Macron has sparked violent protests
- There is no suggestion visit is cancelled but aides will take government advice
- Read: Emmanuel Macron survives two no-confidence votes by just nine votes
Buckingham Palace is ‘monitoring’ the volatile political situation in France, which has seen widespread strikes and disruption, ahead of the King’s first state visit to the country later this week.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s government last night narrowly survived a no-confidence motion in parliament over an unpopular pension reform that has sparked violent protests.
Oil refinery workers and bin collectors have gone on strike with another nationwide day of action called for Thursday.
King Charles and the Queen Consort are expected to arrive in the French capital on Sunday for what is viewed by the UK Government as a hugely significant first state visit.
There is no suggestion that the visit will be cancelled but sources told the Mail that the palace was keeping a ‘close eye on the situation’ which may affect their logistics.
King Charles and the Queen Consort are expected to arrive in the French capital on Sunday
Oil refinery workers and bin collectors have gone on strike and riots have broken out over the past few days in protest to the new legislation
French President Emmanuel Macron’s government last night narrowly survived a no-confidence motion
A source said royal aides will take advice from the UK Foreign Office and French authorities.
While nothing has changed yet programme wise, they added, it is possible that there may be an ‘impact on logistics’.
The royal visit is designed to celebrate the UK’s relationship with France, and beleaguered President Macron is certainly rolling out the red carpet with a glittering state banquet at the Chateau de Versailles.
Several engagements during their four-day visit, after which they will travel on to Germany, will be in highly public venues.
These include a wreath laying with President Macron and his wife at the Arc de Triomphe in central Paris and a procession down the Champs-Elysees before a meeting between the King and the French leader at the Elysee Palace.
This could be a high-risk magnet for protesters determined to publicly humiliate President Macron.
Mr Macron’s wife Brigitte and the Queen Consort will also officially open a new exhibition at the Musee d’Orsay, which will be seen as less problematic.
READ MORE HERE: French politicians receive GUILLOTINE death threats as Macron faces vote of no confidence
The King will also become the first British monarch in history to address the French senate as part of a new post-Brexit charm offensive, while he and his wife will also visit Bordeaux before travelling onto Germany.
There has been some surprise that the couple’s first foreign tour since the accession is not to a Commonwealth partner or a realm, where the king is still head of state.
But Whitehall sources last night made clear that the Government sees Europe as an immediate priority, particularly in light of the war in Ukraine.
They are keen to use the King and Queen Consort’s power of ‘soft diplomacy’ to build on the UK’s strong historic ties with some of its closest neighbours.
But it comes at a difficult time for President Macron who is facing a national revolt over his attempts to force pension legislation through the French parliament without a vote, which will see the national retirement age rise from 62 to 64 and extend the number of years people must pay into the system to receive a full pension.
Last night in the National Assembly, 278 MPs voted in favour of a tripartisan, no-confidence motion tabled by a centrist party and others, just nine short of the 287 needed for it to succeed.
The outcome will be a relief to Macron, because a successful no-confidence vote would have sunk the government and killed the legislation.
This now means that the widely unpopular pension reform will pass straight to law.
However, further opposition is inevitable and experts are predicting another bout of violent anti-government protests.
Rioters have been on the streets since Mr Macron ignored the National Assembly last Thursday and attempted to bring the new legislation in by presidential decree.
Groups of angry protesters burned effigies of the President and senior ministers before riot police fought back with tear gas and force.
The capital has seen rubbish collectors striking for 15 days in a row in reaction to the bill, meaning that waste is piled high on the streets.
The three main incinerators serving the French capital have been mostly blocked, as has a rubbish sorting centre northwest of Paris.
Another consequence of the protests was that politicians were threatened with the guillotine if they supported Macron in the parliamentary no-confidence vote.
Pedestrians walk past a fire made of household waste during demonstrations in Bordeaux, south west France on Saturday
A protester holds a placard with the face of Macron reading ‘they have to come for me’ at a protest in Paris on Saturday
Protesters carry a puppet figure of Emmanuel Macron at a demonstration in Nice, south France, on Suday
Far-left lawmakers hold papers reading ’64 years. It is no’, ‘appointment in the street’ and ‘we are continuing’ at today’s confidence vote
Police said hundreds of macabre messages had been sent to MPs yesterday who were preparing for the crucial vote in the National Assembly in Paris.
Agnes Evren MP and vice-president of the Republican party said she was ‘receiving death threats’ which alluded to the guillotining of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette during the ‘Terror’ which followed the French Revolution in 1789.
She tweeted: ‘These extremist refuse debate – they have no respect for their political adversaries and are openly inspired by the Terror.’
Unions are demanding that the government withdraw the retirement bill and have called for further nationwide protests on Thursday.
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