Category: National
President Hollande’s baptism of water and fire
François Hollande’s first day as the seventh president of the Fifth Republic included a right soaking in his open topped car on the Champs Elysées and being struck by lightning on the flight to Berlin for his crucial meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Twelve things you might not know about President Hollande
Twelve things you might not know about President Hollande….
High hopes for Hollande
Like Tony Blair and Barak Obama before him, François Hollande has a lot to live up to. He has come to power promising change for a whole nation. It’s a big promise to make.
Final polls suggest gap narrowing
Two days after the marathon live TV debate, the final polls before Sunday’s run-off show François Hollande’s lead over Nicolas Sarkozy is down to five points, the smallest gap between the two in the campaign.
No amnesty from Hollande or Sarkozy
Both François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy have indicated there will be no ‘presidential amnesty’ for delits – minor offences – or traffic fines following either of their victories.
Radio Londres
The 2012 presidential election is the first social networking election and means the reportedly ten officials from the electoral commission charged with the job have had their work cut making sure no-one broke strict laws which prevent the release of official projections before 20.00h, on pain of a 75000 euro fine. Especially as enterprising internauts [...]
It’s Hollande vs Sarkozy – with Le Pen third
As expected, François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy will go head-to-head in the presidential run-off on May 6.
Guide to the French presidential election – part two
With still more than two weeks till the first round of voting in the Presidential Election, and then a further two weeks of campaigning for the run off, the race to the Elysée is just as much a marathon as it is to any other historic seat of power. Although the French version is a [...]
Fishy fun
The French like to partake in the fun of April Fool’s Day as much as the British. Of course, it’s the poisson d’avril here and children surreptitiously place paper fish on their targets. The event has been celebrated celebrated in France since 1564 when Charles IX changed the start of the year to January 1 [...]
Sarkozy edging first round as campaign re-intensifies
After a seemly and mature hiatus following the nationwide shock, fear and grief of the Toulouse shootings, the presidential campaign is once again at full intensity, with UMP candidate Nicolas Sarkozy still marginally ahead in the first round. Four of the last six sondages (polls), all taken within a week, have put him first.
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