Macron dismisses unrest, promises drought action plan

SAVINES-LE-LAC, France: President Emmanuel Macron announced new water-saving measures for France on Thursday as he sought to brush aside weeks of political turmoil after he imposed a deeply unpopular pensions reform.

Protesters calling for him to resign had gathered in the Alpine town of Savines-le-Lac ahead of his announcement, as he faces the biggest challenge of his second term in office. Two people were arrested before he even arrived on the shores of western Europe´s largest fresh-water reservoir.

“There is contestation over a reform, but it doesn´t mean everything else should grind to a halt... We need to continue working,” Macron told reporters to the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. After a devastating heatwave last summer and record low rainfall this winter, Macron said he wanted to reuse 10 percent of all water in France by 2030.