Eurozone deal: a boon for Sarkozy?

It took a good old all-nighter, but European leaders in the end hatched a deal to salvage Greece, the euro and maybe their own political fate. For Nicolas Sarkozy and his peers, the deepening crisis has indeed become an obsession and has eroded their popularity. But it also poses major challenges to those seeking to unseat them, starting with the Socialist Party here in France.

FRANCE 2012

Marc Perelman interviews Jean-Marc Gonin, senior writer at Le Figaro Magazine, and Philip Turle, journalist at RFI.

23/05/2012 - France 2012

François Hollande: New president on the world stage

As we head towards key parliamentary elections on June 10th and 17th, the new French president and government are making their first steps. François Hollande went to Berlin, the US and Brussels in the space of a week. A man elected after a campaign focused on domestic topics is now mostly busy with international issues, from the Greek crisis to the war in Afghanistan.

17/05/2012 - France 2012

French government: Who's in and who's out?

We take a look at the face of France's new government, not only those involved but also those who are not, such as Socialist party leader Martine Aubry. We also take a closer look at France's new leader. What kind of man is François Hollande? And caught between his campaign promises and the harsh realities of France and of the world, how will he act?

09/05/2012 - France 2012

Presidential Election: a gracious exit for Sarkozy

France has a new president, only the second Socialist since 1958. A year after launching what seemed at the time like a crazy bid to win the presidency, François Hollande has beaten the odds, his Socialist rivals and ousted Nicolas Sarkozy from the Elysée palace. He will officially take power on May 15th. Until then, Nicolas Sarkozy, who was sorely criticised for appearing with the rich and famous at the start of his mandate, is trying to exit the stage graciously.

03/05/2012 - France 2012

Hollande vs Sarkozy: a feisty confrontation

There are now only three days to go before we know who the next president of France will be - either François Hollande, or Nicolas Sarkozy again. Last night the one and only debate between the two candidates took place. It lasted nearly three hours, and the two men pulled no punches. But will it make a difference on Sunday?

26/04/2012 - France 2012

Presidential Election: Can Sarkozy woo the far-right?

Nicolas Sarkozy versus François Hollande. The stage is set for round two of the French presidential election. But it has been upset by the record performance of the far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, who outperformed her father's shock result back in 2002.

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