In the company Macron, Couillard critical of the management of Michaëlle Jean

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The prime minister of Quebec, Philippe Couillard, and the president of France, Emmanuel Macron

Charles Lecavalier

Monday, march 5, 2018 08:46

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Monday, 5 march 2018, 12:06

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PARIS | Philippe Couillard asked Michaëlle Jean to exercise more rigour in the management of the international Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) during a meeting at the Elysée palace in the company of the president and Emmanuel Macron.

The prime minister has indicated that he expected that Ms. Jean should be “more rigour and transparency in the internal administration of this great organization,” during a joint press briefing with Mr. Macron on Monday, at the beginning of a week-long mission in France.

The Newspaper revealed last week the financial difficulties of a project of a cruise organized by the OIF. The Bureau of investigation was also highlighted in the 2017 spending a half-million dollars made out of public funds to renovate the official residence rented to Ms. Jean in Paris. This is not to mention a living room of 50 000 $ to Ms. Jean at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York, as well as the reimbursement of a grand piano of about $20,000.

Mr. Couillard made a question by the quebec press about his desire to campaign to support the re-election of Ms. Jean to the post of secretary general of the OIF. “For Ms. John, there is not currently racing in the direction of application, there is no election,” said the prime minister. Ms. Jean briguera a second mandate during the Summit of the Francophonie, which will take place in Armenia, in October.

Specifically, Mr. Couillard is expected to be a “presentation of a report and a discussion between member States at this summit. “There are rendering accounts in house. We expect a state of situation presented by the IOF”, he said. The OIF, however, remains an “important vehicle” that will enable France and in Quebec to grow the French language in Africa, said Mr. Couillard.

Mr. Couillard met with Ms. Jean in the afternoon, but the former journalist did not want to answer the questions of the media, arguing that his schedule was too busy.

A discourse of a Macron in the national Assembly in June

In addition, Mr. Couillard has also revealed that the president Macron will benefit the G7 summit in June in Quebec to make a speech to the national Assembly.

The two politicians spoke of education, of environment and of the protectionism of the us president Donald Trump. Philippe Couillard began the first day of a week-long mission in France where he will be welcomed on Thursday by the French prime minister, Édouard Philippe, as well as the CEO of Airbus later this week.

AFP