The Local France

French expats to get their own MP

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 13:28:00 +0200

French citizens living as expats across northern Europe will for the first time be given the chance to elect their own member of parliament in the upcoming elections, in one of 11 new expat constituencies.

Hollande steps up eurobonds push

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:20:00 +0200

President Francois Hollande stepped up his push Thursday for the launch of eurobonds after a summit of EU leaders in Brussels exposed divisions on the issue.

New government hands itself 30% pay cut

Fri, 18 May 2012 10:32:00 +0200

French leader Francois Hollande's new Socialist government got down to work on Thursday with the first order of business a symbolic 30 percent pay cut for the president and ministers.

Rich French head for the exits

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:48:00 +0200

On the day Socialist president Francois Hollande takes power, there are signs that wealthy French citizens are thinking about moving abroad to escape tough new tax rules.

Hollande to take over French presidency

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:58:00 +0200

Socialist Francois Hollande will be sworn in as France's president on Tuesday before naming a prime minister and dashing to Germany to battle with Berlin over how to tackle Europe's debt crisis.

Hollande vows to 'dominate finance'

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:50:00 +0200

French Socialist presidential candidate Francois Hollande vowed on Thursday to "dominate finance", following warnings from the right that a left-wing victory would trigger attacks on the euro.

Twitter could lead to election cancellation

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:50:00 +0200

Strict rules on exit polls could be undermined by users of social networks like Twitter and might even cause the presidential election to be cancelled.

Three outsiders gunning for presidential upset

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:13:00 +0200

From the far left, far right and centre, three outsiders are gunning for a surprise against Socialist frontrunner François Hollande and incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in France's presidential vote.

Presidential hopefuls reveal love of wine

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:03:00 +0200

A respected wine magazine has asked France's presidential candidates their preferences when it comes to the country's most famous export.

Expats would vote Sarkozy back in

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:22:00 +0200

A new poll shows that French expats are more likely to support President Sarkozy than his Socialist rival, François Hollande.

Sarkozy denies 2007 illegal campaign funding

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:15:00 +0200

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday vehemently denied new accusations of illegal party financing that are threatening to overshadow his re-election campaign.

Candidate denounces Queen's drugs money

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:34:00 +0100

A fringe candidate for next month's French presidential election on Wednesday alleged that the Queen of England owes her fortune to drugs money laundered by "Jewish bankers in The City".

Tens of thousands march for leftist candidate

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:26:00 +0100

Tens of thousands marched in Paris on Sunday to support firebrand leftist presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who has shaken up France's election campaign with a surprise jump in the polls.

Sarkozy to journalist: 'what a dickhead'

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:58:00 +0100

President Sarkozy surprised a journalist on Thursday when he told him he was a "dickhead" ("couillon").

One in five gays plans to vote for far right party

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:36:00 +0100

A survey revealing the voting intentions of different groups in France has shown some of the sharp divisions in party preferences.

Le Pen gets backing to stay in race

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:45:00 +0100

French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has secured the backing of enough local government officials to run in the two-round presidential election, party sources said on Monday.

Sarkozy denies Qaddafi funding allegations

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:58:00 +0100

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday slammed as "grotesque" accusations in a document published by a left-wing investigative website that his 2007 presidential campaign allegedly received funds from deposed Libyan strongman Moamer Qaddafi.

Sarkozy threatens to quit Schengen zone

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:47:00 +0100

President Nicolas Sarkozy threatened in a key election rally on Sunday to pull France out of Europe's 26-nation visa free zone unless the European Union does more to keep out illegal immigrants.

Hollande in London: 'I am not dangerous'

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:18:00 +0100

François Hollande, tipped to be France's next president, called for greater financial markets regulation during a visit to woo French voters in London on Wednesday.

Socialist surprises with plans for 75% tax rate

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0100

Socialist presidential candidate François Hollande showed he plans to hit high income earners by announcing plans to introduce a tax rate of 75 percent for those earning more than €1 million a year ($1.34 million).