france’s macron eastern europeans try to mend ties after disagreements
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

France’s Macron, eastern Europeans try to mend ties after disagreements

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today France’s Macron, eastern Europeans try to mend ties after disagreements

President Emmanuel Macron speaks with former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Brussels - Arab Today

French President Emmanuel Macron and four eastern EU leaders sought to turn the page on Friday after publicly trading barbs over their differences on issues ranging from jobs to the bloc’s fundamental values.
Macron, in power for little more than a month, has vowed to protect French workers from what he sees as “social dumping,” in which companies employ cheaper labor, and unfair competition from the poorer eastern European states.
Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic say they should be allowed to compete on lower prices — just as more developed western EU nations compete on quality products and know-how — to catch up after decades of communist stagnation.
Along with looming negotiations on the EU’s next multi-year joint budget that runs from 2021, this dispute is shaping up as one of the most contentious issues facing the bloc, exacerbating an east-west rift as it seeks unity to tackle Brexit.
But meeting on the sidelines of a two-day EU summit that began on Thursday, Macron and the four east European leaders agreed to set up an expert-level group to try to narrow the differences over rules for so-called “posted workers.”
“With President Macron we agreed today on a more intensive communication,” Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said after the meeting. “We will start with the directive on posted workers.”
“I have pointed out to Emmanuel Macron today how low wages are in the Czech Republic compared to France, and that French firms can also do more to raise (their) wages.”
EU states are divided on rules under which, say, a Bulgarian truck driver or a Lithuanian bricklayer can work in France for a limited time for the eastern European wage, usually below the minimums guaranteed in the west.
A French presidency source said Macron had told the four, known as the “Visegrad group,” that exploiting the pay gap could backfire on them.
“We have to fight fraud and abuses. Otherwise, the whole posting of workers will be rejected,” the source said.
A second diplomatic source said the five leaders had agreed to meet again in September.
The Visegrad four have also clashed with France on the treatment of migrants from outside the EU, and were infuriated by Macron’s open criticism of the track record of Warsaw and Budapest on democracy and rule of law.
Macron previously said he would seek sanctions on Poland, whose nationalist-minded, euroskeptic government has angered the EU with its efforts to impose greater control over judges and state media and its refusal to take in any migrants.
For its part, France has sometimes come under fire from Brussels for bending EU rules on public finances and budgetary supervision.
Earlier this week Macron told the Visegrad-4 not to treat the EU as a “supermarket” and said they would face consequences if they failed to respect EU rules and values.
He drew scorn from Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who put Macron’s comments down to his relative youth — the French leader is 39 — and accusations from Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo that he was showing off.
Szydlo’s Europe minister said after the Friday meeting he hoped it would prove successful in clearing the air.
“We hope that (we) will be better understood now in Paris,” Konrad Szymanski told reporters.
“We also hope that… political dialogue between France and central Europe will be carried out in a more orderly manner, without clichés and phrases that can at times be seen as stereotypical or insulting.”

Source: Arab News

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

france’s macron eastern europeans try to mend ties after disagreements france’s macron eastern europeans try to mend ties after disagreements

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

france’s macron eastern europeans try to mend ties after disagreements france’s macron eastern europeans try to mend ties after disagreements

 



GMT 12:49 2017 Wednesday ,06 September

Senegal wants to buy 10 units of ship from PT PAL Indonesia

GMT 22:57 2017 Wednesday ,01 March

Trump lays out his vision of America to Congress

GMT 21:08 2017 Sunday ,17 September

OIC condemns suicide attack in Cameroon

GMT 00:59 2017 Sunday ,10 December

hmad Zahid's Visit To Rohingya Camp

GMT 02:25 2017 Friday ,24 February

Pope in emotion-charged visit to Italy quake zone

GMT 22:26 2016 Thursday ,22 September

Indian market closes higher

GMT 05:52 2016 Wednesday ,05 October

Robin Williams’ widow details actor’s final days

GMT 18:42 2017 Saturday ,07 October

Education, Works ministries discuss cooperation

GMT 03:11 2017 Friday ,14 April

5 Sudanese soldiers killed in Yemen

GMT 15:35 2017 Saturday ,25 February

United Nations chief arrives in Saudi

GMT 20:47 2017 Saturday ,07 October

PM asserts to bolster relations with Egypt

GMT 07:09 2017 Wednesday ,29 March

Ellie Goulding to Open Mawazine Festival

GMT 05:01 2017 Friday ,05 May

Arab Media Forum begins in Dubai

GMT 01:12 2017 Wednesday ,18 October

Fights against climate change, terrorism linked

GMT 06:59 2017 Monday ,13 February

Disney parks in US increases prices again

GMT 14:36 2017 Wednesday ,04 January

Record-chasing Chelsea face test

GMT 14:34 2016 Sunday ,14 August

United States wins 1000th Olympic gold medal
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday