PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte apologized for being caught calling feminist activists sales connes — which roughly translates to “stupid bitches”— but said she should be able to speak her mind away from the cameras. Interviewed by online news outlet Brut, Macron insisted that her remarks were made in private — she was attending a show by comedian Ary Abittan, who had been accused of rape in a case which was later dismissed — and that she would not have used these words in public. “I’m sorry if I hurt female victims [of sexual assault],” Macron said. She then added: “I’m the president’s wife, but I’m also myself, and in a private context, I can let myself loose in a way which isn’t appropriate … people have the right to [freely] speak and think.” In a since-deleted clip published by gossip outlet Public, Macron is seen asking comedian Abittan, before his performance, how he is doing, to which he responds that he is “afraid,” likely referring to the possibility of protesters interrupting his show. The French first lady then responds: “If there are stupid bitches, we’ll toss them out.” A small group of activists wearing cardboard masks with Abittan’s face attempted to interrupt a show in Paris, yelling “Abittan rapist” while being pushed back by security, video published by French outlet Le Média showed. Macron’s comments drew outrage from French politicians, feminist organizations and film industry celebrities alike. The hashtag #JeSuisUneSaleConne (#IAmAStupidBitch), launched in solidarity with the protesters, was shared by several high-profile figures, including Judith Godrèche — a French actress who has played a central role in confronting sexual violence in the film industry — and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard. Abittan is on his first tour since investigating judges decided not to charge him with a crime after he was accused of rape. While the plaintiff was found to have suffered post-traumatic stress, justice officials said they could not establish sufficient grounds to determine that the sexual encounter had been forced. Abittan has denied wrongdoing and said the act was consensual.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rejected the growing outcry over sexual harassment complaints and corruption cases involving members of his Socialist Party, defiantly declaring that its commitment to feminism and clean government is “absolute.” During his annual end-of-year speech on Monday, Sánchez boasted that his party had been the first in Spain to adopt anti-harassment protocols, and that his government had greenlit legislation to ensure gender balance in key sectors, fight gender-based violence and promote gender equality abroad. “Like everyone else, we have made mistakes,” he said. “But we cannot forget that everything this country has achieved in its quest to ensure equality between men and women has been thanks to the work of its progressive governments.” The prime minister added that he would not accept any “lessons” from the country’s right-wing opposition, which he said behaved like the legendary Spanish inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada while failing to adopt legally required mechanisms to tackle sexual misconduct within its own ranks. Sánchez also rejected criticism regarding the corruption investigations that have resulted in the arrest of several former allies — among them former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, who maintains his innocence — and recent police raids on several ministry buildings. During the address, Sánchez was at pains to contrast the scandals with those of his predecessor, conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was ousted in 2018 after losing a no-confidence vote over the corruption scandals affecting his center-right People’s Party. “Systemic corruption — the sort that was affecting our country’s entire democratic system — ended when the People’s Party left the Spanish government in 2018,” Sánchez said, insisting that there is no evidence of widespread rot within the Socialist Party. NOT GOING ANYWHERE Sánchez’s minority government relies on the support of parliamentary allies who are increasingly uncomfortable with the barrage of sexual harassment and corruption scandals affecting the Socialist Party. The Basque Nationalist Party’s president, Aitor Esteban, this weekend said Sánchez needed to either halt the “daily hemorrhage of news stories” or call snap elections. The Republican Left of Catalonia’s Gabriel Rufián on Monday urged the Socialist Party to “stop playing the victim and drop the ‘whataboutism’ tactics,” adding that his continued support depended on the prime minister’s ability to “reform his party and his government.” Sánchez used his address to the nation to clarify that he does not plan to hold snap elections and is thinking solely of the legislative wins his government can notch by the end of its term in 2027. He added that it is his duty to continue fighting for progressive measures, and urged his allies to respect the will of the voters who made it possible for him to secure another term as prime minister when elections were last held. The Socialist leader also rejected Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz’s call for a “profound Cabinet reshuffle” to make a clean break with the rot, insisting all members of his government are instrumental to its current success. That intransigent stance angered members of Díaz’s Sumar party, the left-wing junior partner in Spain’s coalition government, with Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun urging the prime minister to reconsider his stance in order to “restart” the stalled legislative term. Throughout his address, Sánchez stressed that the fall of his government would result in a “historic shift” in Spain that would see the far-right Vox party come to power. “We are facing the most sterile, destructive, and I would say the most extreme opposition in recent times.” Sánchez’s parliamentary allies recognize that the next elections are likely to result in a right-wing government that will depend on Vox’s backing, if not its active participation. But that increasingly does not seem to be enough to ensure their continued support for the prime minister. “Is it worth it to endure this situation in order to stop the right and the far-right from taking office?” the Republican Left of Catalonia’s Rufián asked rhetorically. “Yes.” “But we also have to ask ourselves if this situation is going to make the far-right grow,” he added. “And if it will permit the far-right to not only come to power, but remain there for years.”

French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte sparked outrage after calling feminist protesters sales connes — roughly translated as “stupid bitches” — backstage at a comedy show. In a since-deleted clip published by gossip outlet Public, Brigitte Macron is seen asking comedian Ary Abittan before his performance how he is doing, to which the former responds that he is “afraid,” likely referencing the possibility of protesters interrupting his show. Abittan is on his first tour since investigating judges decided not to charge him with a crime after he was accused of rape. While the plaintiff was found to have suffered post-traumatic stress, justice officials said they could not establish sufficient grounds to determine that the sexual encounter had been forced. Abittan has denied wrongdoing and said the act was consensual. After Abittan said he was afraid, the French first lady responded: “if there are stupid bitches, we’ll toss them out.” Abittan’s return was protested by the feminist group Nous Toutes, whose members disrupted the show to denounce what they called a “communication campaign aimed at portraying him as a traumatized person while humiliating and belittling the victim.” In a statement to French newswire AFP published Monday, Macron’s office said the remark should be understood as “criticism of the radical methods used by those who disrupted and obstructed Ary Abittan’s show.” Condemnation came from political figures across party lines, as well as activists and film industry professionals. Marine Tondelier, head of the French Greens, called the remark “extremely grave” and conservative Senator Agnès Evren described it as “very sexist.” Prisca Thévenot, a lawmaker from the president’s party and former government spokesperson, deemed the comment “inelegant.” “When it comes to women fighting against violence against women, we don’t speak that way,” former President François Hollande said Tuesday on RTL. Judith Godrèche, the French actress who has played a central role in confronting sexual violence in the film industry, took to Instagram to criticize Macron. “I too am a stupid bitch. And I support all the others,” she wrote.

Latvia could become the first EU country to withdraw from a landmark international treaty to combat domestic abuse and violence against women following a parliamentary vote Thursday. Lawmakers voted by a margin of 56 to 32, with two abstentions, to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention — a Council of Europe treaty intended to standardize support for women who are victims of violence — just a year after it came into force. “It’s a shameful decision for the parliament,” Andris Šuvajevs, parliamentary group leader for the center-left Progressive Party, told POLITICO shortly after the vote, which took place after an intense 14-hour debate. The legislation to withdraw from the treaty was introduced by a right-wing opposition party, Latvia First, but passed with support from one of the three parties in the ruling coalition. The centrist Union of Greens and Farmers broke ranks with Prime Minister Evika Siliņa to help push the bill through. Ingūna Millere, a representative of Latvia First, told POLITICO in a written comment that the Istanbul Convention was a “product of radical feminism based on the ideology of ‘gender’” and that Latvia’s ratification of the treaty was “political marketing that has nothing to do with the fight against violence.” The push to withdraw from the convention has been sharply criticized by human rights groups, which warned that it would roll back women’s rights in Latvia. A day before the vote, around 5,000 people demonstrated outside the parliament, carrying signs reading “Hands off the Istanbul Convention” and “Latvia is not Russia.” Tamar Dekanosidze, the Eurasia regional representative for women’s rights NGO Equality Now, said the bill attempted to reframe gender equality initiatives as pushing an “LGBTQ agenda,” adopting a Kremlin-style narrative that allows politicians to portray themselves as defenders of “national values” ahead of elections.  “This would mean that, in terms of values, legal systems and governance, Latvia would be more aligned with Russia than with the European Union and Western countries,” she said, adding that this “directly serves Russia’s interests in the country.” Latvia’s withdrawal would require the support of President Edgars Rinkēvičs, who said before the vote that he would review the law and announce his decision within 10 days. Latvia would be only the second country to quit the convention following Turkey’s exit in 2021.

PARIS — French lawmakers approved legislation Wednesday that introduced the concept of consent in the legal definition of rape following the shocking Gisèle Pelicot trial last year. While advocates have been pushing for years for France to change the definition of rape and sexual assault to outlaw nonconsensual acts, Pelicot’s case, where 51 men were accused of raping her with the help of her now ex-husband, who had drugged her, gave new impetus and got the ball rolling. Until now, French law defined sexual assault — including rape — as acts performed through “violence, coercion, threat, or surprise.” Some of the lawyers in the trial had unsuccessfully centered their defense on the argument that the definition did not explicitly require seeking a partner’s consent, claiming their clients believed they were taking part in a sexual fetish shared by the couple. The newly-written law states that “any non-consensual sexual act … constitutes sexual assault.” Consent must be “free and informed,” given for one specific act prior to it taking place, and it must be “revocable,” it adds. Crucially, it is explicitly stated that consent cannot be “inferred solely from the victim’s silence or lack of reaction.” Véronique Riotton, a centrist lawmaker who coauthored the bill and wrote a report on the issue in 2023, told POLITICO that the bill’s passage was a “positive moment” proving that parliament could still move forward on major issues despite the political gridlock currently crippling France. Several lawmakers had tried to pass similar legislation in recent years, but the issue drew little attention until Pelicot’s case. In 2022, a European Commission proposal to require all member countries to classify any nonconsensual sex as rape was dropped from a wide-ranging draft law on violence against women due to opposition from several countries, including France. French President Emmanuel Macron later clarified that he supports the legal redefinition but does not see it as a European prerogative.

Listen on * Spotify * Apple Music * Amazon Music Generaldebatte am Morgen, Fraktions-Grillfest am Abend: Friedrich Merz muss Reformanspruch und Koalitionsharmonie gleichzeitig liefern. Wie ihm das nach harten Tönen zum Bürgergeld, aber Beschwichtigungen zum Sozialstaat insgesamt gelingen kann, analysieren Gordon Repinski und Rasmus Buchsteiner zusammen. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview macht der auch für Klimapolitik zuständige stellvertretende SPD-Fraktionschef Esra Limbacher klar: Klimaziele ja. Aber mit mehr industriepolitischer Flexibilität, Hybrid-Optionen und angepassten Flottengrenzwerten, um Jobs zu sichern. Transatlantisch erhöht Donald Trump den Einsatz: Schärfere Russland-Sanktionen nur gegen EU-Zölle auf China und Indien. Wie das Brüssel unter anderem auch wegen Ungarn und der Slowakei unter Druck setzt und wie man antworten will, hört ihr von Hans von der Burchard. Aus unserer Machthaber-Reihe findet ihr hier die Folgen über Wladimir Putin, Xi Jinping und Narendra Modi. Und Angela Merkel findet bei einer Ausstellungseröffnung im Forschungsministerium ungewohnt deutliche Worte für Frauenförderung und Quoten. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski.

Sanna Marin is a Tony Blair Institute’s strategic counselor. She’s the former prime minister of Finland. As the world’s leaders gather in Rome for this year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference, there is no illusion as to what’s at stake. Ending Russia’s war of aggression remains Ukraine’s overriding priority. But the truth is, even that won’t secure lasting stability. True recovery will demand more than reconstruction funds or military deterrence. It will require deep, sustained investment in the systems that underpin a strong sovereign state. One of the most vital — and most overlooked — of those systems is Ukraine’s own people. Too often, the conversation surrounding Ukraine’s workforce begins and ends with refugee return. But recovery cannot be deferred until people come home. Nor can it depend entirely on external support. Ukraine’s greatest untapped asset is already within its borders: millions of citizens ready to work, retrain and rebuild, if allowed the opportunity. This isn’t a soft-side issue — it’s a strategic imperative. And new research from the Tony Blair Institute shows that taking bold action now could expand Ukraine’s workforce by 25 percent, even while war continues. There are more than 3 million people inside Ukraine today who, with the right policies and support, could be brought into the workforce. Unlocking this potential isn’t just the most realistic way to stimulate economic growth and power Ukraine’s recovery, it’s also the smartest and fastest way to build long-term resilience in the face of ongoing war. This isn’t about abstractions. It’s about mothers who can’t find childcare; displaced people struggling to rebuild their lives after being forced to flee; job seekers struggling to find work that matches their skills and offers the stability that formal employment should provide. It’s also about veterans and individuals with disabilities who are ready to contribute but often encounter barriers due to limited workplace accommodation. Ukraine’s workforce is motivated, but it’s constrained by systems that haven’t kept up. Today, 83 percent of Ukrainians with disabilities are out of work. Women face a 15-point participation gap compared to men. And over one-third of internally displaced people are unemployed. Meanwhile, 40 percent of businesses say they can’t find the skilled talent they need. This mismatch is more than a missed opportunity — it’s a risk to Ukraine’s recovery and long-term sovereignty. Ukraine’s greatest untapped asset is already within its borders: millions of citizens ready to work, retrain and rebuild, if allowed the opportunity. | Sergey Kozlov/EPA The good news is, Ukraine has the tools to change this, and the country has momentum on its side: billions in donor support, a nearly finalized new labor code and real political will. It has digital infrastructure that’s the envy of governments across Europe. It also has a population ready to adapt, with almost 40 percent of Ukraine’s unemployed saying they’re willing to retrain and a quarter of them willing relocate for the right job. That’s an extraordinary national resource. And Ukraine’s partners can help turn this potential into progress by acting on four fronts: First, bring Ukraine’s job market into the 21st century. The country is already a world leader in digital ID. It has ambitious plans to build platforms that would match workers with jobs and training opportunities — especially in regions where the disconnect between supply and demand is stark. It needs international funding and expertise to do this.  Second, put employers in the driver’s seat by tying every reskilling program to a real job opportunity. Even though there are hundreds of available courses, many teach skills that businesses don’t need, or they target workers who already have jobs instead of those seeking work. Reskilling support should be contingent upon employers co-designing curriculums and committing to hire successful graduates. Third, finalize the new labor code. The current one dates back to 1971. Reform is essential — not just for EU accession but for unlocking flexibility, formality and fairness in the workplace. Technical assistance and public advocacy from international partners can help here. Finally, break down the systemic barriers to participation. This means scaling up access to childcare, improving workplace accessibility for those with disabilities and supporting underrepresented groups, from women and young people to the elderly and displaced. These changes are morally right, economically vital and should align with donor priorities. I’m proud to join that conversation, and urge us all to keep people — not just infrastructure — at the heart of recovery. Of course, the return of refugees will be critical to Ukraine’s long-term recovery. But with only half of them currently planning on returning, and most of them uncertain exactly when, this cannot be the cornerstone of today’s strategy. Ukraine cannot afford to wait. The focus must be on unlocking the potential of those already inside the country’s borders. And that starts with modernizing the job market, removing the barriers that prevent people from working, and investing in the skills that will power Ukraine’s reconstruction from the ground up. Recovery doesn’t begin with return, it begins with reform. Ukraine has already proven its courage. Now its people can build a workforce ready to win the peace. But the country needs partners to expedite this task and help its people scale with what they have. With the right investment, Ukrainians won’t just rebuild — they’ll lead.