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 Nicolas Sarkozy has created a buzz on the French political scene after it emerged he is planning to rename his UMP party, possibly as "The Republicans". https://www.thelocal.fr/20150312/frances-ump-party-mulls-name-change Thu, 12 Mar 2015 15:55:56 +0100 frances-ump-party-mulls-name-change Despite being forced to quit as leader of France’s main opposition party after being charged over a finance scandal, Jean François Copé has landed a job at a prestigious French university, giving a course in political governance. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150211/coe-ump-shamed-ex-ump-party-chief-turns-political-lecturer Wed, 11 Feb 2015 10:41:00 +0100 coe-ump-shamed-ex-ump-party-chief-turns-political-lecturer Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has come in for criticism for his decision to attend a paid conference in the Middle East while his party is in turmoil over whether it should unite against the National Front in a by-election on Sunday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150206/sarkozy-under-fire-for-middle-east-trip Fri, 06 Feb 2015 09:54:04 +0100 sarkozy-under-fire-for-middle-east-trip France's centre-right opposition party appears in turmoil after it ignored the wishes of its leader Nicolas Sarkozy, by telling its supporters to abstain rather than vote against Marine Le Pen's National Front in a key by-election this weekend. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150204/sarkozy-ump-le-pen-doubs-by-election Wed, 04 Feb 2015 12:54:00 +0100 sarkozy-ump-le-pen-doubs-by-election Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will attend the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) conference in Cologne and rekindle his partnership with Chancellor Angela Merkel. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141202/merkozy-to-ride-again-at-cdu-conference Tue, 02 Dec 2014 09:59:00 +0100 merkozy-to-ride-again-at-cdu-conference France's opposition UMP on Tuesday put a trio of former prime ministers in charge as it sought to move on from a campaign funding scandal linked to former president Nicolas Sarkozy's last re-election bid. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140611/three-ex-pms-take-charge-of-frech-opposition Wed, 11 Jun 2014 12:34:00 +0200 three-ex-pms-take-charge-of-frech-opposition Jean-François Copé, who quit as the leader of France’s opposition party on Tuesday over a funding scandal surrounding Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2012 election campaign, has told the French public he was innocent of any wrongdoing and blamed his employees for the affair. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140528/cop-bygmalion-ump-french-politics Wed, 28 May 2014 11:41:00 +0200 cop-bygmalion-ump-french-politics The scandal-ridden French opposition party, the UMP, was plunged into crisis on Tuesday when party leader Jean-François Copé quit after more shocking revelations emerged over a funding scandal for Nicolas Sarkozy's failed 2012 election campaign. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140527/ump-cope-sarkozy-french-opposition-plunged-into-crisis Tue, 27 May 2014 12:38:00 +0200 ump-cope-sarkozy-french-opposition-plunged-into-crisis The head of France’s opposition party was pushing back hard on Thursday against charges of financial irregularities regarding €8 million in party spending during the 2012 election. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140227/french-party-leader-tied-to-money-scandal Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:13:00 +0100 french-party-leader-tied-to-money-scandal When he walked out of the Élysée Palace after a humiliating election defeat vowing never to return, Nicolas Sarkozy's political career appeared to be over. But after charges were dropped over the Bettencourt funding scandal, the way is almost clear for a return to the ring. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131008/path-clears-for-sarkozy-to-return-to-the-ring Tue, 08 Oct 2013 11:04:00 +0200 path-clears-for-sarkozy-to-return-to-the-ring Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he was "grateful" to the supporters of his UMP party, who helped raise the €11 million the party needed to pay off its bank debts, which had threatened the future of the party. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130909/sarkozy-moved-as-ump-raises-11m-to-pay-debts Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:16:00 +0200 sarkozy-moved-as-ump-raises-11m-to-pay-debts Nicolas Sarkozy’s desperate plea for donations to help save his UMP party has helped draw in millions of euros, but with the banks having set a payback deadline for Wednesday, the party is still over €2 million short. The former president has thanked donors. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130730/sarkothon-raises-8-million-as-deadline-looms Tue, 30 Jul 2013 12:20:00 +0200 sarkothon-raises-8-million-as-deadline-looms Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy issued a public appeal on Facebook for donations to his centre-right UMP party, whose future he said was "in peril" following the loss of a €10 million ($12.9 million) deposit for breaching spending limits during last year's election campaign. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130705/sarkozy-french-ump-opposition-is-in-peril Fri, 05 Jul 2013 13:11:00 +0200 sarkozy-french-ump-opposition-is-in-peril Former French Prime Minister François Fillon risked sparking off more infighting in France’s opposition UMP party this week by announcing that he will be a candidate in the 2017 presidential election “whatever happens”. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130510/fillons-2017-election-pledge-risks-new-ump-war Fri, 10 May 2013 15:35:00 +0200 fillons-2017-election-pledge-risks-new-ump-war French President François Hollande has riled the opposition after making a joke at the expense of his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130225/hollandes-sarkozy-joke-riles-french-opposition Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:08:00 +0100 hollandes-sarkozy-joke-riles-french-opposition Speculation has flourished in recent weeks that former President Nicolas Sarkozy will run for presidency in 2017. The Local asks political author Neila Latrous whether a Sarko return is really on the cards. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130220/only-justice-can-stop-a-sarkozy-come-back Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:19:00 +0100 only-justice-can-stop-a-sarkozy-come-back He's been on the global lecture circuit and was reported to be heading to London last month to start an investment fund, but rumours are gathering strength that Nicolas Sarkozy's future will depend on another shot at the French presidency. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130214/sarkozy-for-president-in-2017-will-he-or-wont-he Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:14:00 +0100 sarkozy-for-president-in-2017-will-he-or-wont-he France's right-wing opposition UMP on Sunday took a step towards healing the damaging rift that has divided the party when the two rival leaders appeared to agree on a fresh leadership vote next September. https://www.thelocal.fr/20121217/cope-and-fillon-edge-towards-new-election Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:00:59 +0100 cope-and-fillon-edge-towards-new-election Right-wing candidates have come out ahead of the ruling Socialists in three by-elections as President François Hollande struggles with France's stalling economy. https://www.thelocal.fr/20121210/socialists-pummelled-in-french-byelections Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:52:07 +0100 socialists-pummelled-in-french-byelections 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. https://www.thelocal.fr/20121202/sarkozy-sets-ump-leadership-ultimatum Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:01:00 +0100 sarkozy-sets-ump-leadership-ultimatum