Latest update: 23/03/2012 

- crime - François Hollande - French elections 2012 - immigration - Nicolas Sarkozy - shootings


Toulouse Tragedy: a turning point in the presidential race?

Toulouse: the name of this pretty town in south-western France will now forever be synonymous with death. The tragic deaths of three Jewish children, gunned down with one of their professors as they arrived in school, as well as the cold-blooded assassination of three French soldiers by the same man, have plunged France into a sea of sorrow and soul-searching. But what will the impact on the presidential campaign be?

By FRANCE 24

On the set:

  • Gabriele PARISSINI, Correspondent, Wall Street Journal in Paris;
  • Guillaume AYNÉ, Secretary General, French NGO "SOS Racisme".
Competitiveness: French bosses' ultimatum to the government
01/11/2012 - POLITICS

Competitiveness: French bosses' ultimatum to the government

French bosses are cranking up the pressure on President François Hollande. They have published an open letter asking the government to lower social charges on jobs by 30 billion euros over two years and slash public spending by 60 billion euros over 5 years. It's key to restoring France's competitiveness, they say.
New centrist party: can it take centre stage?
25/10/2012 - POLITICS

New centrist party: can it take centre stage?

The Union of Democrats and Independents, or UDI, is a new French centrist party launched last weekend. Headed by popular former minister Jean-Louis Borloo, the party presents itself as a potential ally of the conservative UMP. But it does not hide its ambition to actually become the leading opposition party. Is this just a fantasy, or can the centre really take... centre stage?
French hostages in Africa: President Hollande in the danger zone
18/10/2012 - POLITICS

French hostages in Africa: President Hollande in the danger zone

One of the most difficult issues to deal with as a president is a hostage situation. François Hollande finds himself these days in the midst of a high-wire act, trying on the one hand to free six French hostages held in Africa while preparing to wage a war on the hostage-takers themselves in northern Mali. Is it a case of mission impossible?
Terrorism: a homegrown threat?
11/10/2012 - POLITICS

Terrorism: a homegrown threat?

Is there a mounting home-grown terrorist threat in France? This is the question rankling officials after the police gunned down a Frenchman suspected of throwing a grenade into a Jewish grocery store several weeks ago. A dozen alleged accomplices have since been arrested and bomb components discovered in a search by police, alongside a list of Jewish institutions that could be targets.
EU fiscal pact: the Socialist malaise
04/10/2012 - POLITICS

EU fiscal pact: the Socialist malaise

One thing is certain: a clear majority of the French parliament will vote in favour of the EU fiscal pact. But another thing is too: the treaty has sown divisions within the ruling majority, not just between the Socialist party and its Green allies but also within the ruling party, much to the delight of the opposition conservatives.

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