The Local France

UK to put €10 million into Calais migrant crisis

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 11:15:05 +0200

UPDATED: Britain and France announced a new "command and control centre" on Thursday to tackle smuggling gangs in Calais, as Europe grapples with its biggest migration crisis since World War II.

Airlines urged to enforce psychological testing

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 15:09:07 +0200

Europe's aviation watchdog recommended changes on Friday, including that two people be present in plane cockpits at all times, after a lone rogue pilot reportedly deliberately crashed a Germanwings jet in March, killing all 150 people on board.

Germanwings co-pilot saw 'dozens' of doctors

Mon, 08 Jun 2015 19:28:37 +0200

The co-pilot believed to have deliberately crashed Germanwings flight 4U9525 had seen "dozens" of doctors in the two years before, state prosecutors said on Monday.

All 150 Germanwings crash victims identified

Wed, 20 May 2015 10:08:11 +0200

Investigators have identified the remains of all 150 people aboard a Germanwings flight that was deliberately crashed into the French Alps, a prosecutor said on Tuesday, allowing them finally to be laid to rest.

Hypocrisy? France and its regional languages

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 15:40:00 +0100

The French language is sacred to France, which is why the latest move to recognize the country's other native tongues has again run into obstacles. But is Paris finally about to drop its "double standards" and officially accept France's regional languages?

Ten things to know about France's new equality law

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 15:55:00 +0100

French lawmakers were mulling a landmark bill on Monday that aims to close the equality gap between men and women. From abortion to pay, beauty contests to the media, here are ten key points to know about the proposals that could change the face of the country.

French doctors praise EU protection of e-cigarettes

Tue, 08 Oct 2013 18:18:00 +0200

The European Parliament on Tuesday voted against reclassifying electronic cigarettes as medicinal, which would have restricted their sale to pharmacies. A French doctor who led a group of health professionals in supporting e-cigarettes this week, told The Local it was a "wise decision."

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.

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.

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).