Evening Update Wednesday 19 April 2023

President Macron has been visiting a factory in Alsace today where he was met by the sound of demonstrators bashing saucepans together. It's the first such visit by the President since his televised address regarding pension reforms. Demonstrators gathered near the factory and the electricity supply was cut off to the area during his visit. President Macron said that "it isn't pans that will move France forward" and "the reality of the whole country is not only those who make noise with pans or who groan". During the visit the President confirmed that he still has confidence in his Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.

The secretary general of one of France's biggest unions has announced that he's stepping down. Laurent Berger told newspaper Le Monde that he will leave his post on 21 June and will be replaced by Marylise Lion, the current number two at the organisation.

Train traffic will once again be disrupted on the SNCF network because of tomorrow's national day of industrial action. As usual on days of industrial action, services are expected to be affected from this evening. You can check specific trains via the timetable search on the website https://www.ter.sncf.com/sud-provence-alpes-cote-d-azur

A meeting of the entire diplomatic corps of Monaco has been held in the Principality. The Monaco Department of External Relations and Cooperation organized the Diplomatic Conference. Various current topics were discussed during these two days, including urban development projects in terms of construction