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| Sarkozy carbon tax ruled unconstitutional French court judges tax would punish households while letting off big industrial pollutersNicolas Sarkozy's dreams of putting France on the frontline of the fight against global warming were in disarray today, after his flagship carbon tax was ruled unconstitutional two days before it was due to come into effect.In an unexpected and embarrassing blow, the court responsible for ensuring the validity of French legislation rejected the reform as ineffective and unfair.It ruled that rather than being the revolutionary measure Sarkozy promised, the tax would have let off many industrial polluters, while placing a disproportionately heavy burden on ordinary households."The large number of exemptions from the carbon tax runs counter to the goal of fighting climate change and violates the equality enjoyed by all in terms of public charges," said the constitutional council in its eleventh hour ruling last night.Scrambling to salvage a project which the President had vigorously defended against criticism from opposition politicians, green groups and members of his own party, the government insisted today the carbon tax had not been put off for good. "It is a tough fight, but a worthwhile one," said spokesman Luc Chatel. Ministers promised a revised text within weeks.However, there was little the government could do to distract from the humiliation of having a much-trailed reform batted back by the sages of the august constitutional council.Nor will the hopes of a new and improved plan do much to calm heightening worries over revenue. Even if a revised proposal is made, the tax – which was expected to raise €1.5bn (£1.34bn) during 2010 – will take weeks to reach parliament again and even longer to start boosting state coffers.The opposition Socialist party made no secret of their glee at seeing the right-wing president fall at the final hurdle of his marathon battle to introduce a tax which was opposed by two-thirds of the public."This is a good decision and shows once again that Sarkozy's way of doing things does not work," the Socialist party's parliamentary leader, Jean-Marc Ayrault, told French radio. "They announce a reform, listen to no one and produce a poor job. It's a real mess."Sarkozy, who has championed the environmental cause with increasing vigour since the strong performance of the French Greens in June's European elections, set out his vision for the carbon tax in September with the zeal of the ecological convert he claims to be. "It's a question of survival of the human race," he said. A tax of €17 (£17.22) per tonne of carbon emissions would have been levied on oil, coal and gas consumption.But, while green campaigners warned the tax was not high enough to be effective, the Socialists and consumer groups claimed it would lead to an unfair situation in which certain people, such as car-dependant households in isolated areas, would be hit harder than the real culprits.The ruling of the constitutional council appeared to support those criticisms. It said that more than 1,000 of France's biggest polluters could have been exempted from the charges, and that 93% of industrial emissions would not have been taxed.However, many big polluters are required to participate in the EU emissions trading scheme, in which they must buy carbon permits if they exceed pollution targets.Speaking on French radio this yesterday morning, the junior minister for trade and consumption admitted mistakes had been made. "It was perhaps shocking that the sectors given exemptions were those that polluted the most," said Hervé Novelli. "So we will have to put that right."Sarkozy, who is returning tonight from a Christmas break in Morocco with his wife Carla Bruni, has made no public comment on the setback. But Chantal Jouanno, the junior minister for ecology, said he remained "very determined" to get a carbon tax into law before the summer.Carbon emissionsNicolas SarkozyFranceClimate changeCarbon footprintsLizzy Daviesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
White House on defensive on health care WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House was put on the defensive Wednesday after President Barack Obama pushed congressional leaders to fast-track health care legislation behind closed doors despite his campaign promises of an open process.... hosted.ap.org |
Alleged chief of violent Mexican cartel captured TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) -- Mexico has captured a kingpin accused of terrorizing his way to the top of a gang fighting for control of key U.S. drug routes - even ordering rivals dissolved in caustic soda. Tuesday's arrest, announced by U.S. and Mexican officials, capped a series of victories in Mexico's U.S.-backed war on narcotics.... hosted.ap.org |
Al Qaeda Threatens New Strikes Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula issued fresh threats against the U.S. and its Mideast allies, promising to retaliate against a surge of strikes launched in the past month against its leaders and safe havens in Yemen. online.wsj.com |
Iraq executes Chemical Ali Ali Hassan al-Majid was notorious for the gassing of more than 5,000 Kurds in 1988 and other brutal campaignsAli Hassan al-Majid, better known as Chemical Ali, was executed today for crimes against humanity in Iraq's highest profile execution since Saddam Hussein was hanged five years ago."The death sentence against Ali Hassan al-Majid has been carried out," said Ali al-Dabbagh, an Iraqi government spokesman.Dabbagh said Majid was not subjected to any abuse during the execution – unlike Saddam, who was taunted on the gallows in December 2006."Everyone abided by the government's instructions and the convicted was not subjected to any breach, chanting, abuse words or insults," Dabbagh said.The 68-year-old former spy chief and first cousin of Saddam had been sentenced to death on 17 January for ordering the gassing of more than 5,000 Kurds in the northern Iraqi town of Halabja near the Iranian border in 1988. Other officials in Saddam's regime have received jail terms for their roles in the attack.Majid, one of Saddam's most notorious henchmen during the brutal three-decade reign of the Ba'athists, had received three previous death sentences for atrocities committed during Saddam's rule, particularly in government campaigns against the Kurds in the 1980s and the Shias in the 1990s.Majid first ordered the use of chemical weapons – mustard gas, sarin and VX – in 1987, culminating in the attack on Halabja. By the end of the Kurdish campaign in 1988 about 4,000 villages had been destroyed, an estimated 180,000 Kurds killed and about 1.5 million deported.He was nicknamed Chemical Ali by Iraqi Kurds, who also called him the Butcher of KurdistanMajid was captured after the 2003 invasion of Iraq and charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Convicted in June 2007, he was sentenced to death for crimes committed in the al-Anfal campaign against the Kurds. His appeal was rejected on 4 September 2007 and he was sentenced to death for the fourth time, by hanging, on 17 January 2010.Majid, who owed his rise to family ties with Saddam, played a key role in the purge of the Ba'ath party in 1979, when Saddam, formally installed as head of state, sat on the stage of an auditorium and watched "traitors" being led away to their deaths after their names were called out.In August 1990, after the invasion of Kuwait, Majid was appointed him military governor of what Saddam considered to be Iraq's "19th province". But Saddam replaced him three months later for fear his brutal reputation was strengthening the hand of Kuwait's allies. When Iraqi forces were pushed out of Kuwait by a US-led coalition, Majid was appointed interior minister to help stamp out the Shia rebellion in southern Iraq.IraqKurdsSaddam HusseinMark Tranguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |