France
France, Spain fight spreading wildfires as Europe swelters
France scrambled more water-bombing planes and hundreds more firefighters to combat spreading wildfires that were being fed Monday by hot swirling winds from a searing heat wave broiling much of Europe. In Spain, two people have been killed in blazes there.
With winds changing direction, authorities in southwestern France announced plans to evacuate more towns and move out 3,500 people at risk of finding themselves in the path of the raging flames.
Three additional water-dropping planes were joining six others already making repeated runs over the flames and dense clouds of smoke, the Interior Ministry said Sunday night.
It said more than 200 reinforcements were also being added to the 1,500-strong force of firefighters battling night and day to contain the blazes through the Gironde region’s tinder-dry pine forests that are also sending burning embers into the air, further spreading the flames.
Read: Wildfire rages in Bordeaux; fire pilot killed in Portugal
Spain reported a second fatality in two days as it battled wildfires. The body of a 69-year-old sheep farmer was found Monday in the same hilly area where a 62-year-old firefighter died a day earlier when he was trapped by flames in the northwestern Zamora province. More than 30 forest fires around Spain have forced the evacuation of thousands of people and blackened 220 square kilometers (85 square miles) of forest and scrub.
In both France and Spain, fierce heat is fueling blazes. Forecasters warned of temperatures above 40 C (104 F) for Monday. Climate change is making such life-threatening extremes less of a rarity.
“I left my country under fire, literally under fire,” Teresa Ribera, Spain’s minister for ecological transition, said as she attended talks on climate change in Berlin on Monday.
She warned of “terrifying prospects still for the days to come” — after more than 10 days of temperatures over 40 C (104 F), cooling only moderately at night.
Read: Greece plane crash: Cargo aircraft was carrying weapons to Bangladesh : Serbian minister
Heat waves and drought tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight. Scientists say climate change will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.
According to Spain’s Carlos III Institute, which records daily temperature-related fatalities, 237 deaths were attributed to high temperatures from July 10-14. That was compared to 25 temperature-related deaths the previous week.
The heat wave in Spain is forecast to ease on Tuesday, but the respite will be brief as temperatures rise again on Wednesday, especially in the tinder-dry western Extremadura region.
In Portugal, much cooler weather Monday helped fire crews make progress against blazes. More than 600 firefighters were attending four major fires in northern Portugal.
Fires scorch France, Spain; temperature-related deaths soar
Firefighters battled wildfires raging out of control in France and Spain on Sunday as Europe wilted under an unusually extreme heat wave that authorities in Madrid blamed for hundreds of deaths.
Two huge blazes that have consumed pine forests for six days in southwestern France have forced the evacuation of some 14,000 people, and led authorities shut down access to Europe’s tallest sand dune, the much-visited Dune du Pilat. Water-dropping planes zig-zagged the area, as flames lapped at the edge of a farm field, and smoke blanketed the skyline above a mass of singed trees, in images shared by firefighters.
In Spain, firefighters supported by military brigades tried to stamp out over 30 fires consuming forests spread across the country. Spain’s National Defense Department said that “the majority” of its fire-fighting aircraft have been deployed to reach the blazes, many of which are in rugged, hilly terrain that is difficult for ground crews to access.
Drought conditions in the Iberian Peninsula have made it particularly susceptible to wildfires — some caused by lightning, others by accident, and even some intentionally set — after a mass of hot air blew up from Africa.
Fire season has hit parts of Europe earlier than usual this year after a dry, hot spring that the European Union has attributed to climate change. Some countries are experiencing extended droughts, while many are sweltering in heat waves.
So far, there have been no fire-related deaths in France or Spain. In Portugal, a pilot of a firefighting plane died when his aircraft crashed on Friday.
But as temperatures remain unusually high, heat-related deaths have soared. In Spain's second heat wave of the summer, many areas have repeatedly seen peaks of 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). According to Spain’s Carlos III Institute, which records temperature-related fatalities daily, 360 deaths were attributed to high temperatures from July 10 to 15. That was compared with 27 temperature-related deaths the previous six days.
The death of a street cleaner after he suffered heat stroke while working has led Madrid's town hall to give its street cleaners the option to work in the evenings to avoid the worst spells of the day.
About half of France was under a heat wave warning Sunday, with scorching temperatures expected to climb higher on Monday. The government has stepped up efforts to protect people in nursing homes, the homeless and other vulnerable populations after a vicious heat wave and poor planning led to nearly 15,000 deaths in 2003, especially among the elderly.
Meanwhile, the fire in La Teste-de-Buch, in the Bordeaux area, has forced 10,000 people to flee at a time when many flock to the nearby Atlantic coast area for vacation. The Gironde regional government said on Sunday afternoon that “the situation remains very unfavorable" due to gusting winds that helped fan more flare-ups overnight.
France keen to work together with Bangladesh for economic, social benefits
France is keen on strengthening cooperation with Bangladesh for mutual economic and social benefits overcoming challenges ahead, a French diplomat in Dhaka said on Wednesday.
“We now have to keep working together to combine our strength in order to consolidate mutual economic and social benefits and to face the numerous challenges to come,” said Chargé d’affaires at the French Embassy in Dhaka Guillaume Audren de Kerdrel in a message marking the French National Day that falls on July 14.
He assured that the French Embassy will continue to play an active role to further strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries.
While Bangladesh is still facing the challenges of climate change, France commends the leading role of Bangladesh in the Climate Vulnerable Forum.
“France remains at the disposal of Bangladesh in this area as well as in the field of infrastructures, particularly transportation, access to clean water, energy and telecommunications,” said Kerdrel.
He said this year is a great and special year as France and Bangladesh celebrated on 14th February 2022 the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationships between both countries.
The diplomat described the year 2022 as a milestone in many ways for Franco-Bangladeshi cooperation as the two countries are also celebrating the 30 years of archeological cooperation and exploration of the large site of Mahasthangarh, north of Bogura.
"This archaeological cooperation is the longest standing cooperation between our two countries. With excavations being carried out jointly by French and Bangladeshi archaeologists, this endeavour stands as a perfect symbol of our two countries cooperating by sharing knowledge and resources to work together towards a common goal,” he mentioned.
Read:Argentina keen to exporting soybean, fertilizer to Bangladesh
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the French diplomat said his country did display vaccine solidarity, in particular within the framework of the Covax facility with the support of the vaccination program of the French Development Agency.
The French Development Agency, which opened its Dhaka office in 2012, has become a key player in development cooperation in Bangladesh with projects in many different areas such as energy, water, transportation, health and finance.
On May 12th 2022, a host country agreement between the government of France and the government of Bangladesh was signed to legally seal the establishment of the AFD as a Development Partner of Bangladesh.
On this occasion AFD renewed its commitment in supporting green and inclusive growth in Bangladesh.
Since the beginning of the shared history, France has been a committed partner in its relationship with Bangladesh.
“Our country has heard the voice of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: in 1971, André Malraux relayed his call to support the freedom and independence fighters,” said the French diplomat.
Two years later, he was received with great honors in Dhaka by the President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
A recent publication in France, “Malraux and Bangladesh” retraces in detail this founding moment and the symbol of our friendship and this beautiful book is currently being translated into Bangla.
The official visit of the Prime Minister to France from November 9th to November 13th of 2021 has reflected the strong bond and the friendship between our two countries, said the CDA at the French embassy.
France and Bangladesh once again reaffirmed their determination to strengthen partnerships in the field of blue economy, defense and science in particular.
France celebrates its National Day in commemoration of the storming of the Bastille in Paris on the 14th of July 1789.
It remains the powerful symbol of the French revolutionary fight for emancipation from a then absolute monarchy, followed a few weeks later by the landmark proclamation of the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”, opening the long and arduous way to the establishment of democracy and the rule of law.
France, Germany reiterate importance of promoting HR worldwide
France and Germany have reiterated their attachment to freedom of opinion and expression and to the promotion and protection of all human rights throughout the world.
The French Embassy quoting a Facebook post on their verified page on Tuesday said, “We are concerned by the situation of the NGO Odhikar, which was temporarily denied the renewal of its registration.”
READ: Hasina greets France’s new prime minister
The two countries “salute the important work of this NGO” to which the Franco-German Human Rights Prize was awarded in December 2017 by the French and German Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the post reads.
Macron alliance projected to lose parliamentary majority
French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance was projected to lose its majority despite getting the most seats in the final round of parliamentary elections Sunday, while the far-right National Rally appeared to have made big gains.
The projections, which are based on partial results, say Macron’s candidates would win between 230 and 250 seats — much less than the 289 required to have a straight majority at the National Assembly, France’s most powerful house of parliament.
Also read: French National Assembly vote decides battle between Macron and left
The situation, which is highly unusual in France, is expected to make Macron’s political maneuvering difficult if the projections are borne out.
A new coalition — made up of the hard left, the Socialists and the Greens — is expected to become the main opposition force with about 140 to 160 seats.
The National Rally is projected to register a huge surge with potentially more than 80 seats, up from eight before. Polling was held nationwide to select the 577 members of the National Assembly.
The strong performance of both the National Rally and the leftist coalition called Nupes, led by hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, is expected to make it harder for Macron to implement the agenda he was reelected on in May, including tax cuts and raising France’s retirement age from 62 to 65.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the “unprecedented” situation “is a risk to our country faced with challenges at the national level as well as at the international scale.”
“As the central force in that new Assembly ... we will work, as of tomorrow, to build an action-oriented majority," she said.
“There's no alternative but gathering to guarantee our country some stability and lead the necessary reforms,” she added.
Borne, who herself won a seat in western France, suggested Macron's centrist alliance will seek to get support from lawmakers from diverse political forces to find “good compromises.”
The National Rally's leader, Marine Le Pen, who lost to Macron in the presidential election, was reelected as MP in her stronghold of Hénin-Beaumont, in northern France.
“The Macron adventure has reached its end,” Le Pen said. The group of National Rally lawmakers “will be by far the biggest of the history of our political family.”
Acting National Rally president Jordan Bardella compared his party’s showing to a “tsunami.” “Tonight’s message is that the French people made from Emmanuel Macron a minority president,” he said on TF1 television.
“It’s the electoral failure of the ‘Macronie’,” Mélenchon said, criticizing "a moral failure of those people who lectured everyone non-stop and said they would block the far-right, and the main result is that they reinforced it.
Macron’s government will still have the ability to rule, but only by bargaining with legislators. The centrists could try to negotiate on a case by case basis with lawmakers from the center-left and from the conservative party — with the goal of preventing opposition lawmakers from being numerous enough to reject the proposed measures.
The government could also occasionally use a special measure provided by the French Constitution to adopt a law without a vote.
Government spokesperson Olivia Grégoire said on France 2 television that “we’ve known better evenings.”
“This is a disappointing top position, but still a top position," she said.
“We are holding out a helping hand to all those who are OK to make that country move forward,” she said, notably referring to The Republicans party, which is expected to have less seats than the far-right.
Also read:French projections: Macron's centrists will keep a majority
A similar situation happened in 1988 under Socialist President Francois Mitterrand, who then had to seek support from the Communists or the centrists to pass laws.
These parliamentary elections have once again largely been defined by voter apathy — with over half the electorate staying home.
Audrey Paillet, 19, who cast her ballot in Boussy-Saint-Antoine in southeastern Paris, was saddened that so few people turned out.
“Some people have fought to vote. It is too bad that most of the young people don’t do that," she said.
Macron had made a powerfully choreographed plea to voters earlier this week from the tarmac ahead of a trip to Romania and Ukraine, warning that an inconclusive election, or hung parliament, would put the nation in danger.
“In these troubled times, the choice you’ll make this Sunday is more crucial than ever,” he said Tuesday, with the presidential plane waiting starkly in the background ahead of a visit to French troops stationed near Ukraine. “Nothing would be worse than adding French disorder to the world’s disorder,” he said.
Some voters agreed, and argued against choosing candidates on the political extremes who have been gaining popularity. Others argued that the French system, which grants broad power to the president, should give more voice to the multi-faceted parliament and function with more checks on the presidential Elysee palace and its occupant.
“I’m not afraid to have a National Assembly that’s more split up among different parties. I’m hoping for a regime that’s more parliamentarian and less presidential, like you can have in other countries,” said Simon Nouis, an engineer voting in southern Paris.
At the Nupes' headquarters in Paris on Sunday evening, Pierre Migozzi, a leftist supporter, said the results show French politics have been rekindled.
“There is a divide between people who want to guarantee the established order (Macron), people against free-market policies who want a new world turned toward the youth (Nupes), and people who recognize themselves in the National Rally's motto of being the party of the people,” he said.
The 26-year-old, who grew up in central France, expressed concern about the far-right's results, saying the National Rally “is not an answer” to the issues of France’s suburbs and rural areas.
Griezmann’s struggles open door for Nkunku at World Cup
Antoine Griezmann’s alarming drop in form means his starting place for France at the World Cup is under threat from Christopher Nkunku.
If Griezmann’s struggles continue in two international matches in September, coach Didier Deschamps could select Leipzig’s Nkunku when France begins its title defense in Qatar two months later.
“They have two different profiles. Christopher is perhaps more of a striker than Antoine, who is more of a creator,” Deschamps said recently. “Athletically they’re not the same, and not just in terms of size and physique.”
The 24-year-old Nkunku is a quick and skillful player who operates as a forward or an attacking midfielder. He was voted the German league’s best player by his fellow professionals last season after scoring 35 goals overall and providing 14 league assists. In stark contrast, Griezmann has not scored for France or Atlético Madrid since early January.
Read: France still struggling to break through at highest level
Nkunku started ahead of Griezmann in a Nations League match against Croatia on Monday. In the match before at Austria, Nkunku came off the bench and with an astute pass set up the equalizer for Kylian Mbappe.
Nkunku’s style of play offers France a more direct approach.
“Christopher’s good in the air, too. Even though he’s not that tall he jumps well, and can make runs into space,” Deschamps said. “Antoine can do that as well, but he is more involved in the buildup and organization.”
For many years, dropping Griezmann would have been unthinkable for Deschamps, who is very close to the player and admires his unselfish attitude. Griezmann has played 108 times, but recent performances have not been good and he was taken off after 63 minutes in Austria.
“He knows he’s not in his best form. It shows in his game and his influence on our attack,” Deschamps said recently. “It’s not his best period. Some of it is physical, some of it is mental. (But) I’m not saying he’s worn out.”
Something that never changes with Griezmann is that he never stops working hard. France teammate Karim Benzema said it’s important to “look at the other things he does, the way he drops back and defends.”
“He will score at some stage,” Benzema said.
Read: UEFA Nations League 2021: France Beat Spain in the Final to Become Champion
Griezmann is third on France’s all-time list of scorers with 42 goals. But the 31-year-old forward’s scoring touch has deserted him to such an extent that he managed only three league goals in 26 games for Atlético last season.
It’s a far cry from his prolific spell with the Colchoneros, when he netted 133 goals overall in 257 games before joining Barcelona in 2021. He did well in spells there, but his return of 35 goals in 102 games fell below expectations and his confidence started to wane.
Fast forward to Monday night at Stade de France, and Grizemann only came on for the last 15 minutes against Croatia. Les Bleus lost 1-0 and relinquished the Nations League title. Rock-bottom France faces the prospect of relegation to the second-tier league and must bounce back at home to Austria on Sept. 22 and in Denmark three days later.
Those games could also influence whether Griezmann is a starter or a substitute when France begins its title defense against Australia in Qatar on Nov. 22.
His squad place looks a certainty, however.
“I know his ability and his mental strength. He’s not having his best period but that doesn’t mean I’m going to question what he’s capable of doing,” Deschamps said. “I know very well what he brings.”
Griezmann started the season with Barcelona before re-joining Atlético. He said the different ways the clubs prepare for the season has affected his form in the national team.
“I was a bit tired physically after the efforts I made, just like with my club. My preseason with Barcelona was completely different to how Atlético plays,” Griezmann said after the 2-1 loss to Denmark on June 3 when he came off after 78 minutes.
He predicts he’ll be “much better physically” after a full preseason with Atlético.
Deschamps also has other things on mind, not least sorting out his squad. France looked poor in the Nations League, losing at home to Denmark and Croatia and also drawing in Croatia.
“We have to question everything. We lacked strength, character and energy. The highest level can be unforgiving,” Deschamps said. “I hope we can get our strength back and the players recover their fighting spirit. Did some of them get ahead of themselves?”
Such poor form is unbefitting France, which also reached the final of the European Championship in 2016.
“We’ll need to show a lot more if we want to maintain our status,” Deschamps said. “From the moment you’re not doing things well enough, you must do your own self-criticism.”
There were mitigating circumstances, like injuries to key midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, and central defender Raphael Varane — who only played one game.
“We’ve had far more injuries than we’re used to,” Deschamps said.
Some of the tactical choices he made were questioned, like switching from a three-man defense to a four-man unit.
“Because you have a system it doesn’t mean that you have to stick with it,” said Deschamps, sounding somewhat confused about how his own team should play.
French projections: Macron's centrists will keep a majority
French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance is expected to keep its parliamentary majority after the first round of voting Sunday, but will likely have far fewer seats than five years ago, according to projections.
Projections based on partial election results showed that at the national level, Macron’s party and its allies got about 25%-26% of the vote. That was neck-and-neck with estimates for a new leftist coalition composed of hard-left, Socialists and Green party supporters. Yet Macron’s candidates are projected to win in a greater number of districts than their leftist rivals, giving the president a majority.
Also read:To Europe’s relief, France’s Macron wins but far-right gains
More than 6,000 candidates, ranging in age from 18 to 92, ran Sunday for 577 seats in France's National Assembly in the first round of the election.
France's two-round voting system is complex and not proportionate to the nationwide support for a party. For races that did not have a decisive winner on Sunday, up to four candidates who got at least 12.5% support each will compete in a second round of voting on June 19.
Following Macron’s reelection in May, his centrist coalition was seeking an absolute majority that would enable it to implement his campaign promises, which include tax cuts and raising France’s retirement age from 62 to 65.
Yet Sunday’s projection shows Macron’s party and allies could have trouble getting more than half the seats at the Assembly, much less than five years ago, when they won 361 seats. Polling agencies estimated that Macron’s centrists could win from 255 to over 300 seats, while the leftist coalition led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon could win more than 200 seats.
Sunday’s turnout reached a record low for a parliamentary election, with less than half of France’s 48.7 million voters casting ballots.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said "we have one week of action, one week to convince, one week to get a strong and clear majority.”
“Faced with the situation in the world and the war at Europe’s doors, we cannot take the risk of instability,” she said, urging voters to gather behind Macron's alliance in the second round. “Faced with extremes, we will not yield.”
Mélenchon, who had hoped the election would vault him into the prime minister's post, did not accept the preliminary projections, insisting that his coalition came in first.
Also read: Macron keeps an open line to Putin as war in Ukraine rages
“Projections in numbers of seats at this hour make quite no sense,” he said.
Mélenchon urged the French to choose his coalition's candidates in the second round and "definitively reject the doomed projects of the majority of Macron.” His platform included a significant minimum wage increase, lowering the retirement age to 60 and locking in energy prices, which have been soaring due to the war in Ukraine.
Even though Macron beat far-right rival Marine Le Pen in the presidential runoff, France's parliamentary election is traditionally a difficult race for far-right candidates. Rivals from other parties tend to coordinate or step aside to boost the chances of defeating far-right candidates in the second round.
Projections showed that Le Pen's far-right National Rally party could get 10 to 30 seats — up from eight five years ago. If it passes the threshold of 15 seats, it can form a parliamentary group and gain greater power at the assembly.
Le Pen, who ran for reelection in her stronghold of Henin-Beaumont, in northern France, praised Sunday's results.
“Next Sunday, it is important not to let Emmanuel Macron get an absolute majority, which he will abuse to implement his self-centered and brutal methods and impose his anti-social project,” she said.
Le Pen called on voters to vote blank or not go to the polls in districts that have only Macron's or Mélenchon's candidates.
Outside a voting station in a working-class district of Paris, voters debated whether to support Macron's party for the sake of smooth governance and keeping out extremist views, or to back his opponents to ensure that more political perspectives are heard.
“When you have a parliament that’s not completely in line with the government, that enables more interesting conversations and discussions," said Dominique Debarre, retired scientist. "But on the other hand, (a split) is always in some way a sign of failure."
PM greets French President Macron on re-election
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday greeted Emmanuel Macron on his re-election as the President of France.
“It is indeed an immense pleasure to convey my warmest congratulations on your victory in the recently held Presidential Elections,” she said in her congratulatory message.
Also read: To Europe’s relief, France’s Macron wins but far-right gains
She mentioned that the re-election manifests the trust and confidence of the great French people ... reposed in him and his initiatives and commitments to ensure their welfare and prosperity.
“The election, as you said, was a referendum for the European Union, secularism, and fraternity," she said.
She firmly believed that the French people have given Macron the mandate to carry on with his values and vision.
“I trust, under your able stewardship, France will continue to serve as an essential player on the global stage beyond its role within the European Union.”
She recalled the celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and expressed commitments to deepen and strengthen cooperation in diverse areas of shared interest.
“We count on France being on our side in our efforts to enbance trade, connectivity, and security cooperation with the European Union.”
She looked forward to working closely with Macron in advancing shared priorities of combating climate change, preventing violent extremism, promoting regular migration, and ensuring gender equality.
She again fondly recalled her visit to France in November last year and expressed deep gratitude for extending the gracious hospitality to her and her delegation.
Also read: In France, it's Macron vs. Le Pen, again, for presidency
She renewed her invitation to Macron to visit Bangladesh at his early convenience.
“I take this opportunity to recall your promise to visit Bangladesh if re-elected.”
She mentioned that Bangladesh’s President and she look forward to receiving him and his lady wife in Dhaka at his earliest convenience.
Modi congratulates Prez Macron on his re-election
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated "friend" Emmanuel Macron on his re-election as the French President for another five-year term.
Calling Macron his "friend", the Indian PM took to Twitter to say that he looks forward to working with the French leader to bolster the strategic ties between Delhi and Paris.
Also read:To Europe’s relief, France’s Macron wins but far-right gains
"Congratulations to my friend @EmmanuelMacron on being re-elected as the President of France! I look forward to continue working together to deepen the India-France Strategic Partnership," Modi wrote.
Modi is likely to embark on a five-day tour of Europe next week. During his proposed visit from May 2 to 6, he is likely to hold bilateral meetings with the French President and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Also read:In France, it's Macron vs. Le Pen, again, for presidency
Defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen by 58.55% to 41.45%, 44-year-old Macron on Sunday became the first sitting president in France to get re-elected in 20 years.
How France's old-school voting system works
Paper ballots tucked in paper envelopes. No absentee voting, and no early voting either. French voters in Sunday’s presidential election are using and old-school system that has defied calls for more flexibility or modernization.
As France’s 48.8 million voters are invited to choose between President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, here is a look at how the French election works:
HOW DO THEY CAST BALLOTS?
Voters make their choices in a booth, with the curtains closed, then place their ballot in an envelope that is then put into a transparent ballot box. They must show photo identification and sign a document, next to their name, to complete the process.
Machine-voting has been allowed on an experimental basis, but the purchase of new machines has been frozen since 2008 due to security concerns. Only about 60 towns still use them, out of 35,000 municipalities in France.
Last year, Macron’s centrist government tried to pass an amendment to allow early voting by machine to encourage electoral participation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate, led by a conservative majority, rejected the measure, arguing it was announced with too little notice and wasn't solid enough legally.
Also read: In France’s election, a meaty issue unites Jews and Muslims
A nationwide effort to streamline voter rolls, notably to remove people who had died or changed addresses, led to some people being unable to vote in the first round presidential election April 10. The state statistics agency reported that about 3,100 voters who were removed by error were restored to voting lists in time for the second round.
ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS?
Mail-in voting was banned in 1975 amid fears of potential fraud.
People who can’t go to the polls for various reasons can authorize someone else to vote for them.
To do so, a voter must fill out a form ahead of time and bring it to a police station. Up to 7% of people voted by proxy in the last presidential election five years ago. French people living abroad vote in embassies or consulates.
Local authorities can organize vans or buses to pick up older people from nursing homes to bring them to voting stations, and prisons set up voting stations inside their facilities.
Also read: In France, it's Macron vs. Le Pen, again, for presidency
HOW ARE THE BALLOTS COUNTED?
Volunteers count the ballots one by one, by hand. Officials then use state-run software to register and report results.
But legally only the paper counts. If a result is challenged, the paper ballots are recounted manually.
For towns using machines, the results are registered locally and then reported to the Interior Ministry, which oversees elections. The ministry said it received no reports of irregularities involving voting machines in the first-round vote on April 10.
WHAT ABOUT COVID-19?
Most pandemic restrictions have been lifted in the country. The number of cases is significantly lower than earlier this year, but there are still more than 80,000 new confirmed infections each day.
People who test positive for the virus can go to the polls. They are strongly advised to wear a mask and follow other health guidelines.
Voters can wash their hands at polling stations, which also have hand sanitizer available. Equipment is to be frequently cleaned. Each voting station lets fresh air in for at least 10 minutes every hour.