France Rebellion
Mass protests are continuing in France against the government’s planned reform of the pension system. Despite the protests, President Macron and the government of Prime Minister Philippe are determined to make what they see as necessary changes to create a unified pensions system from the 42 current systems with different retirement ages.
The “yellow vests” movement in France has returned with full force in the protest against pension reform. Demonstrations by many thousand participants in Paris and other cities have been continuing since Saturday, and on Sunday there were brutal clashes with police. However, the French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, announced in an interview for the “Le Journal du Dimanche” weekly, that the announced reform will be carried out to the end.
“I am determined to carry out this pension reform to the end.If we do not carry out a thorough, serious and progressive reform now, then someone else will do it in the future, but much more brutally”- says Edouard Philippe, Prime Minister of France.
Railway and urban transport workers are on strike against the announced reform. Teachers, students, police, garbage collectors and lawyers have joined the strike. The chaos in public transport is widespread in France.
Passengers are being affected by difficulties with public transport throughout France. Most trams, buses and trains do not run. At 7 AM in the capital region you could see traffic jams up to 300 kilometres long. The people of Paris are divided on the legitimacy of the strike.
”I am not totally opposed to the strike, but I do have some difficulty understanding the claims of the strikers and I believe that this movement is disproportionate to its outcomes, which have the potential to greatly influence those surrounding the capital region” – says resident of Paris.
”I fully support the strikers, even if it means making changes. I am with them and I agree with their strike”- says French citizen.
French Prime Minister Paul Eluard is to present details of the pension reform. However, the head of the General Confederation of Labour (or CGT) Philippe Martinez warned that the strike would last until the government completely withdraws from the planned changes.
Protests in Kiev
The protests in Kyiv against President Volodymir Zelensky are continuing. Protesters are worried that during their meeting in France President Zelensky will make concessions to Russia’s President Putin at the expense of Ukraine’s independence.
”I’m not happy with Zelensky’s actions on the international arena. I don’t know why and what for he went to France. If he makes an agreement which means a capitulation, I’ll stay here and I’ll still be protesting. I support Ukraine’s victory but I don’t support mottos like ‘we are brothers’ or ‘we want peace”- says Ukrainian citizen.
“For international meetings like this, we have to go there to defend Ukraine and not sell it out. All these people who came here to support the President so that he have enough strength to defend our homeland. And not capitulate”- says Kiev resident.
”Firstly, President Zelensky will meet the President of France, Emmanuel Macron one to one. After the meeting, he will meet with Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel. Then, the consultations in the Normandy Format with the 4 prime ministers will take place. The last point of the meeting will be a meeting with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin”- says Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Ukrainian Head of the Presidential Office.
Putin – Zełenski ''face-to-face''
Talks under the “Normandy Format”, created in 2014 by France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine, are continuing in Paris. The goal of the talks is to bring about an end the armed conflict in Ukraine. Russia has occupied Crimea and eastern Ukraine since 2014. At the talks, the first face-to-face meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zełenski, has taken place.
Vladimir Putin and the host of the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron, were joined by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The main topic of the summit is said to be the issue of settling the conflict in Donbass in eastern Ukraine, which has been continuing since 2014. The issue of Russian-Ukrainian energy cooperation was also to be tackled during the meeting. Talks are currently underway on a new contract regarding the transit of Russian gas through western Ukraine. The current agreement expires at the end of December.
Poles founded a clinic on the water
A mobile clinic funded by Poles will help patients in remote corners of the state of Wakema in Myanmar (Burma). The clinic is already operating.
The boat and equipment cost around 150,000 PLN. It is the only such medical unit from Poland, which was established in Wakema in cooperation with the Polish Medical Mission and Polish Aid. (Polish Aid – government support program for developing societies). The boat, over 12 m long, is equipped with a power generator and a water tank. Three doctors and support staff can work on board the clinic. If necessary, the boat can transport the patient to the hospital. The state of Wakema is located on uneven terrain, in the Irrawaddy Delta, and transport to other parts of the area is done by rivers. Local doctors cooperate with the doctors of the Polish Medical Mission. they serve as interpreters from Burmese to English.
The Łódź library supports seniors and visually impaired people
The provincial public library in Łódź has enriched its collections with several hundred new issued books with large and legible fonts. The offer was prepared for the visually impaired and the elderly.
To meet the needs of readers, our facility bought unique books, printed in large and legible fonts – explained Ewa Baranowska from the Provincial Public Library of Marshal Józef Piłsudski. The new collection has about 800 items issued as part of the Capital Letters and Capital Letters projects. Books have a larger font, composition and contrast, making them easy to read. Among the eyes-friendly books available in the library are not only fiction but also non-fiction. There are books by such authors as: Remigiusz Mróz, Monika Szwaja, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Maria Nurowska, Katarzyna Puzyńska, Stanisław Grzesiuk, Michalina Wisłocka and many, many other writers. – There is plenty to choose from – Baranowska assured.