https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Former French premier François Fillon and his British-born wife Penelope were found guilty by a Paris court Monday on charges he orchestrated a fake job as parliamentary assistant for her. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200629/french-ex-pm-fillon-sentenced-to-five-years-prison Mon, 29 Jun 2020 16:15:15 +0200 french-ex-pm-fillon-sentenced-to-five-years-prison British-born Penelope Kathryn Fillon, the extremely publicity-averse wife of one-time presidential favourite François Fillon, was at the centre of a huge political scandal in France, dubbed "PenelopeGate". Here's what you need to know about her. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170329/could-a-welsh-woman-be-frances-next-first-lady Wed, 29 Mar 2017 10:35:10 +0200 could-a-welsh-woman-be-frances-next-first-lady President Emmanuel Macron has called for a probe into claims that prosecutors were pressured to move fast in a fraud inquiry against Francois Fillon, a former prime minister and his main rightwing rival in France's 2017 presidential race. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200620/macron-seeks-review-of-fraud-case-against-ex-rival-fillon Sat, 20 Jun 2020 12:31:51 +0200 macron-seeks-review-of-fraud-case-against-ex-rival-fillon French presidential candidate François Fillon was lambasted on Monday after claiming he wasn’t good at saving money. French news sites and social media users were quick to point out his healthy salary. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170403/fillon-ridiculed-for-saying-he-cant-save-money-despite-being-on-a-month Mon, 03 Apr 2017 15:19:37 +0200 fillon-ridiculed-for-saying-he-cant-save-money-despite-being-on-a-month Legal woes piled higher for France's conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Thursday when a judicial source said he will be probed over luxury suits he received as gifts. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170317/suit-alors-fillon-to-be-probed-by-police-over-clothing-gifts Fri, 17 Mar 2017 09:21:24 +0100 suit-alors-fillon-to-be-probed-by-police-over-clothing-gifts French presidential candidate François Fillon was officially charged on Tuesday over the "fake jobs" scandal involving his British wife Penelope. The conservative is being investigated for various offences including misuse of public funds. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170314/franois-fillon-charged-over-fake-jobs-scandal Tue, 14 Mar 2017 16:36:46 +0100 franois-fillon-charged-over-fake-jobs-scandal Conservative French presidential hopeful Francois Fillon, already dogged by a fake jobs scandal, faced new scrutiny on Sunday over a mystery benefactor reportedly paying for his bespoke suits. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170312/frances-fillon-faces-queries-over-cash-for-bespoke-suits Sun, 12 Mar 2017 14:58:13 +0100 frances-fillon-faces-queries-over-cash-for-bespoke-suits Just as François Fillon thought he could get on with his presidential campaign, the embattled candidate was hit by more claims of financial irregularities on Tuesday from the same newspaper that revealed he had paid his wife hundreds of thousands for an alleged "fake job" as a parliamentary assistant. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170307/french-tycoon-gave-francois-fillon-undeclared-50000-euro-loan Tue, 07 Mar 2017 18:16:44 +0100 french-tycoon-gave-francois-fillon-undeclared-50000-euro-loan The wife of scandal-hit French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon broke her silence Sunday over the "fake jobs" scandal that threatens to engulf his bid for power. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170305/fillons-wife-breaks-silence-over-fake-jobs-scandal Sun, 05 Mar 2017 12:55:47 +0100 fillons-wife-breaks-silence-over-fake-jobs-scandal Scandal-hit French conservative candidate Francois Fillon this weekend will bid to keep his presidential hopes alive after more allies abandoned him and a possible replacement to him emerged from the shadows. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170304/fillon-to-talk-politics-as-his-party-supporters-fade-away Sat, 04 Mar 2017 13:29:34 +0100 fillon-to-talk-politics-as-his-party-supporters-fade-away Francois Fillon's gamble to soldier on in his campaign for the French presidency despite a crippling fake jobs scandal is looking more and more like it won't pay off as allies desert him. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170303/fillons-gamble-looks-more-and-more-like-political-suicide Fri, 03 Mar 2017 12:02:44 +0100 fillons-gamble-looks-more-and-more-like-political-suicide While the combative François Fillon faces a huge fight to become the next president of France, there are a few reasons why it would be foolish to dismiss his chances just yet. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170301/fillon-is-down-but-hes-far-from-out-this-is-france-remember Wed, 01 Mar 2017 18:03:46 +0100 fillon-is-down-but-hes-far-from-out-this-is-france-remember François Fillon angrily told the French public on Wednesday that he would not pull out of the running to be French president despite confirming he is to be charged over the fake jobs allegations. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170301/angry-francois-fillon-comes-out-fighting-again-and-vows-not-to-quit-french-presidential-race Wed, 01 Mar 2017 17:28:37 +0100 angry-francois-fillon-comes-out-fighting-again-and-vows-not-to-quit-french-presidential-race François Fillon has vowed once again to battle on in his bid to become French president. This timeline is testament to both Fillon's determination and front and also the risks he is facing. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170301/the-fillon-fight Wed, 01 Mar 2017 15:16:06 +0100 the-fillon-fight Under-fire presidential candidate François Fillon cancelled a key campaign event on Wednesday and will speak to the press at midday. Is he about to throw the towel in or come out fighting once again? https://www.thelocal.fr/20170301/franois-fillon-cancels Wed, 01 Mar 2017 12:12:21 +0100 franois-fillon-cancels Francois Fillon, the conservative candidate in France's presidential election, will face a probe by investigating magistrates into claims he gave his family fake jobs, prosecutors said Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170224/magistrates-to-probe-frances-fillon-over-fake-jobs-in-latest-french-election-twist Fri, 24 Feb 2017 23:12:50 +0100 magistrates-to-probe-frances-fillon-over-fake-jobs-in-latest-french-election-twist French conservative Francois Fillon said Saturday that he would press ahead with his presidential bid even if investigators charged him over claims his wife had a fake parliamentary job. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170218/frances-fillon-vows-to-run-despite-fake-jobs-row Sat, 18 Feb 2017 17:53:43 +0100 frances-fillon-vows-to-run-despite-fake-jobs-row Prosecutors in France say the probe against François Fillon and his wife Penelope over the fake job allegations will continue and not be dropped as the presidential candidate had hoped. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170216/francois-fillon-penelope-troubles-deepen-as-police-say-probe-will-not-be-dropped Thu, 16 Feb 2017 13:01:55 +0100 francois-fillon-penelope-troubles-deepen-as-police-say-probe-will-not-be-dropped François Fillon has not made it out of the woods just yet as opinion polls suggest his popularity has plummeted since Penelope Gate and a group of his own party’s MPs are preparing to turn up the heat. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170214/fillon-in-free-fall-as-party-rebels-turn-the-screw Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:15:05 +0100 fillon-in-free-fall-as-party-rebels-turn-the-screw A British journalist whose interview with the wife of Francois Fillon added fuel to an expenses scandal engulfing his bid for the French presidency on Monday hit back at his claims of his wife being quoted out of context. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170207/fillon-and-brit-journalist-go-head-to-head-over-penelope-quotes-scandal Tue, 07 Feb 2017 11:45:00 +0100 fillon-and-brit-journalist-go-head-to-head-over-penelope-quotes-scandal