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French foreign minister leaving to head Constitutional Court French foreign minister leaving to head Constitutional Court
(about 3 hours later)
PARIS — France’s top diplomat is leaving his post to be named chief of the Constitutional Council, France’s top court making sure that bills comply with the constitution. PARIS — France’s top diplomat is leaving his post to become chief of the Constitutional Council, France’s top court which makes sure that legislation complies with the constitution.
French President Francois Hollande formally proposed the nomination of Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius to the Constitutional Council in a statement Wednesday. The 69-year-old Fabius had been in office since 2012. French President Francois Hollande formally proposed the nomination of Laurent Fabius to the Constitutional Council in a statement Wednesday. Fabius, 69, had been in office since 2012.
His successor is not known yet but a government reshuffling is expected in the coming days. Environment and Energy Minister Segolene Royal and former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, two of France’s most experienced Socialist figures, are widely considered as favorites to take the position. “I led the French diplomacy with pride and I served it with pleasure”, Fabius told lawmakers at France’s lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, getting loud applause.
Fabius told iTele television his one regret as foreign minister is that “the world didn’t follow” France’s position on Syria. Paris was pushing for a military intervention with the U.S. against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime during the summer of 2013. His successor was not named immediately, but a government reshuffle is expected in the coming days. Environment and Energy Minister Segolene Royal and former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault are widely considered as front-runners to take the position.
He said “we should have had taken action.” Fabius told iTele television his one regret as foreign minister is that “the world didn’t follow” France’s position on Syria. Paris pushed the U.S. to join in a military intervention during the summer of 2013.
Fabius also voiced France’s tough position during the nuclear negotiations with Iran. “We should have taken action,” he said.
For years Fabius also tried to help revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, as a strong supporter of the “two-state solution.” He recently said France will recognize a Palestinian state if the negotiations face a deadlock. In his speech at the National Assembly, Fabius denounced the “terrifying brutality” of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. “There is, we ought to say, and I call the ones responsible by their name, a complicity of Russia and Iran,” he said, and called for a cease-fire in Syria.
His international stature soared last December, when almost 200 countries reached an agreement at the U.N. climate conference in Paris. Fabius, host of the two-week talks, was praised for his patience and listening skills. When he gaveled the deal they gave him a standing ovation. Fabius represented France in the nuclear negotiations with Iran, and for years he worked to help revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, as a strong supporter of the “two-state solution.”
His international stature soared in December, when almost 200 countries reached an agreement at the U.N. climate conference in Paris. Fabius was praised for his patience and listening skills, and received a standing ovation when he gaveled the deal.
“It’s rare in life to be able to move things forward at the planet level,” a visibly moved Fabius said.“It’s rare in life to be able to move things forward at the planet level,” a visibly moved Fabius said.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.