French parliament votes to continue emergency laws
France’s lower house of parliament voted today to extend a state of emergency for three months, after the government said that the extra powers were still needed to end the country’s worst civil unrest in four decades.
The National Assembly voted 346-148 for the extension. The opposition Socialist Party opposed an extension, saying emergency measures were no longer needed because rioting was abating.
The extension was eventually passed with support from President Jacques Chirac’s governing conservatives, backed by centrist lawmakers. The Senate will examine the measure on Wednesday.
