Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Vincent McAviney: Europe Correspondent on Michel Barnier being named as the new French Prime Minister

Transcript

Vincent McAviney: Europe Correspondent on Michel Barnier being named as the new French Prime Minister · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Vinton Mecavini are UK and Europe correspondence with US. Vincent,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: good morning, nice to be with you. The indecent assault
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: chargers in the UK against Harvey Weinstein discontinued.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: Why yeah, that's right. Well, the CPS says they've made
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: the decision because there is no longer a realistic prospect
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: of conviction now. Weinstein was charged in twenty twenty two
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: with two counts of indecent assault against a woman in
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: London for alleged defenses in nineteen ninety six. The alleged
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: woman victim is now in her fifties, but the head
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: of the Special Crime and counter Terrorism Division at the
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: CPS said that they have continuously reviewed this case and
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: explained their decision to all parties. They would still encourage
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: any potential victims to come forward, but they're saying now
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: that they will not continue with this. Weinstein was of
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: course jailed in twenty twenty in New York for twenty
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: three years for rape and sexual assault of former assistant
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: and an actress as well many women coming out to
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: testify against him in addition to those alleging various things.
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: But he is of course in a protracted legal battle
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: in the US and now trying to overturn those convictions.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: So that may have played a part in what's here
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: in the UK.
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: And in France, Macron has pict as Prime Minister.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: Yes, that's right. After a couple of months of turmoil
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: in France. Off that snap election, Michelle Barnier, a veteran
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: French Conservative politician, will take over. Now. That is a
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: name that people might remember from Brexit. He was the
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: EU's former Brexit negotiator. He was incredibly tough and formidable
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: as the UK Brexit side saw. He's hoping to put
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: an end of the two months of paralysis and deadlock
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: in France. The right, the Marine Le Penn, says that
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: she will wait to see whether or not he can
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: do that, what his platform will be. The left though,
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: aren't happy with his selection, but we'll see whether or
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: not it will get France going again after this sort
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: of stalemate they've been in and this sort of true
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: that they've had through the Olympics and the Paralympics. So
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: the Paralympics they've stepped to end of course in the
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: next week, so it'll be back to school in France
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: and we'll see whether or not they can get their
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: parliament back up and running. There are some rumors circulating
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: that perhaps President Macron might simply throw in the toll,
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: resign and potentially trigger a fresh presidential election a few
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: years early in order to try and wrong foot Marine
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: La Penn and the far right in the hope that
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: they might not be prepared yet for that race.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: Wow, Okay, that would be a big move, wouldn't it.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: It's either you lit the fire far right in and
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: you include them somehow, or they're probably eventually going to
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: take over, aren't they, whether it's now or whether it's
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: in two years. That's Vincent Mecha. Anyow. You can europe Correspondent.
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: For more from news talks. It'd be listen live on
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: here or online and keep our shows with you wherever
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: you go with our podcasts on IR Radio