The Local France

Fillon goes on trial in Paris for scandal that changed French politics

Sat, 22 Feb 2020 10:01:40 +0100

It was the scandal that turned the 2017 French presidential election on its head, sweeping away the favourite and allowing relative newcomer Emmanuel Macron to romp home.

French billionnaire 'charged over the Fillon fake jobs scandal'

Sun, 14 May 2017 16:40:23 +0200

French billionaire Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere has been charged over a fake jobs scandal that embroiled defeated rightwing presidential candidate Francois Fillon in January, a report said on Sunday.

Failure for Fillon: How the one-time hot favourite watched his campaign collapse

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 23:17:54 +0200

French conservative candidate Francois Fillon was one of the early favourites to become president, but his hopes of playing on his experience to win votes collapsed as a fake jobs scandal engulfed his campaign.

Fillon suspected of forging documents to prove his wife worked for him

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 22:01:48 +0100

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon's legal problems deepened on Tuesday, with financial prosecutors expanding a probe into payments to his family to suspected "aggravated fraud, forgery and use of forgeries", a judicial source said.

How François Fillon has slowly morphed into Donald Trump

Mon, 06 Mar 2017 17:42:49 +0100

François Fillon has been accused of turning into Donald Trump after falsely accusing TV stations of reporting his wife's suicide, insulting autistic people, and exaggerating how many people turned up to his Paris rally.

Former French PM Fillon breaks far-right taboo

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 10:33:41 +0200

The question of how to deal with the growing popularity of France's National Front party has left the main UMP opposition party torn apart, after former PM François Fillon suggested that the anti-immigration party should no longer be treated as a pariah.

Sarkozy sets UMP leadership ultimatum

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:01:00 +0100

France's right-wing opposition UMP are scrambling to end a damaging feud ahead of a deadline to party heavyweights who have both claimed victory in a shambolic leadership vote to reach a compromise or face disqualification.

Copé rejects new leadership contest vote

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 10:45:00 +0100

France's right-wing opposition UMP leader Jean-François Copé on Wednesday rejected a proposal for an internal party vote on whether to rerun the leadership vote he won.

UMP mulls referendum on new leadership vote

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 23:16:17 +0100

France's right-wing opposition UMP took its first steps toward ending a damaging internal battle on Tuesday with tentative plans for a referendum on whether to re-run a contested leadership vote.

UMP heads for split as rivals dig in heels

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:15:00 +0100

France's right-wing opposition UMP Tuesday appeared headed for a split after a poisonous leadership battle as the twice declared winner Jean-Francois Copé rejected demands for a fresh vote.

Leadership dispute tears apart UMP opposition

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:10:00 +0100

France's main right-wing opposition party was close to collapse on Monday after talks failed to resolve a bitter leadership dispute and an ex-prime minister vowed to take the battle to the courts.

UMP leadership squabble remains stalemated

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:00:00 +0100

The rivals to lead France's main right-wing opposition party, the UMP, clashed again Sunday as a political heavyweight called in to mediate their damaging dispute said he had failed to obtain an agreement.

Sarkozy succession becomes two-horse race

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:48:00 +0200

The battle to succeed former president Nicolas Sarkozy at the head of France's main centre-right party came down to a two-horse race on Tuesday after former minister Bruno Le Maire announced he would not stand.

Sarkozy warns ministers against long holidays

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:15:00 +0100

Government ministers have been told they should keep their Christmas and New Year breaks to a minimum as the country moves into a crucial election year.

French PM outed as secret tweeter

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:30:00 +0100

Prime Minister François Fillon was secretly tweeting under the pseudonym fdebeauce. He is suspected of having opened an account to spy on other politicians.

Fillon tells Socialists to halt anti-German jibes

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:34:37 +0100

French Prime Minister François Fillon told the Socialists on Sunday to end their anti-German comments and called on left-wing candidate François Hollande to bring his party under control.

French government retreats on sick leave

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:08:46 +0100

Prime minister François Fillon announced on Tuesday that plans to increase unpaid sick leave for private sector workers would be scrapped.

No reason to cut France rating: bank chief

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:30:00 +0100

The head of the Institute of International Finance, a top lobby group for the banking industry, said on Friday he sees no reason for France to lose its top credit rating despite eurozone debt crisis pressure.

France will meet deficit reduction targets: PM

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:11:00 +0100

Prime Minister Francois Fillon insisted on Monday that France will meet its pledges to bring its public deficit back within EU limits.

Rivals attack government austerity plans

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:39:00 +0100

Socialist presidential candidate François Hollande took to the airwaves on Monday evening to denounce the latest austerity drive announced by the government, at the same time as the prime minister spoke on a rival channel.