French Minister of Environmental Transformation Christophe Béchou said on Franceinfo that a drought prevention committee was convened Thursday, to be followed on Monday by a meeting of all the prefects of the national territory.
“This winter is the driest since 1959,” the minister recalled, answering questions from the channel on Wednesday.
He said that France was on “drought alert.” The country has not had any significant rain for 31 days, although precipitation is expected in some places starting Feb. 22.
A meeting with prefects is expected to “look at territory by territory, what things are like,” Beshu noted.
He confirmed that strict restrictive measures on water use could be announced Monday, to begin in March, “to avoid catastrophic situations this summer.”
In view of this prospect, the minister urged that efforts to conserve water be made “already now.” To date, restrictions are already in force in parts of the eight departments of the country. In four departments, emergency water control is in place.
Climatologists are very concerned about the insufficient level of underground water reserves. The French aquifers are “two months late, in terms of filling,” according to Béchu. “It’s fixable, but we need a rainy March, we have two months ahead of us,” the minister explained.
He said that an “extensive water plan” of about fifty measures will be presented in the coming days. The French, in particular, will be encouraged to moderate the use of drinking water for technical and agricultural purposes. The minister also advocated a greater use of treated wastewater in agriculture.
In the summer of 2022, many regions in France experienced a historic drought.
France and Italy have agreed to supply Ukraine with a SAMP-T anti-aircraft missile system, the French TV channel BFM-TV reported.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecorniou, during a phone conversation with his Italian counterpart Guido Crozetto on Friday, agreed on the final details of this delivery.
It is indicated that the air defense system will be delivered in the spring of 2023.
The French media note that this is the first delivery of a European long-range air defense system to Ukraine.
France does not rule out supplying Leclerc heavy combat tanks to Ukraine for support in the war against Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris, Le Figaro reported.
“Regarding Leclerc, I asked the minister of the armed forces to work on this. Nothing is ruled out, and it is really being evaluated collectively,” the French president said.
For his part, Scholz, responding to a question about German Leopard tanks, said: “The way we have acted in the past is always closely coordinated with our friends and allies, and we will continue to act according to the specific situation.”
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky held a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, during which he discussed cooperation in the process of strengthening the Ukrainian air defense system.
“Had a long and detailed conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the current situation,” Zelensky tweeted.
The head of state said that during the conversation he thanked Macron “for the decision to transfer light tanks and Bastion armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, as well as the intensification of work with partners in the same direction.”
The Ukrainian president stressed that during the conversation the interlocutors also agreed on further cooperation in the process of “significant strengthening” of the Ukrainian air defense system and other defense capabilities.
“We also agreed to work on the implementation of the Peace Formula,” Zelensky concluded.
France has donated a mobile laboratory for DNA analysis to Ukraine, according to the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.
“On July 14, 2022, the Center for Crisis and Support of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs handed over to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine a new mobile laboratory for express analysis and DNA examination,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a joint press release published on Friday.
This DNA lab, similar to the one deployed on site by the French IRCGN Forensic Support Mission and funded by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is a deployable facility unmatched in the world of forensic genetics, allowing rapid genetic analysis of large numbers of biological samples. .
It was developed by the French company TRACIP (Deveryware Group) together with IRCGN, which is an expert in victim identification (DNA sampling and processing) and evidence collection.
The departments assured that, as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, France will continue to support the fight against impunity in Ukraine.
The Ifop Public Opinion Institute predicts that the presidential coalition “Together!” comes out in the second round of parliamentary elections with a result of 210-250 mandates, which means first place and the loss of an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
The presidential team’s main competitor, the left-wing New People’s Ecological and Social Union (Nupes), led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, comes in second with 150-180 seats in the lower house of parliament, as expected.
The media called the expected result of Marine Le Pen’s “National Rally” a big breakthrough. The French nationalists will have 80 to 100 seats, which will allow them to form their own political faction in the National Assembly.
The centre-right “Republicans” are predicted to receive 60 to 70 seats.
The French elected 577 deputies. For an absolute majority, it was necessary to win 289 seats in the National Assembly.
In the first round a week ago, Macron’s “Together” coalition finished almost on a par with the New People’s Ecological and Social Union (Nupes), led by leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
