Presidential Race: Can Hollande lose?

In all likelihood, we already know the names of the two top candidates who will make it to the second round of France's presidential election: Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande. And if the polls are right, Hollande will be France's next president, the first Socialist since Mitterrand was re-elected back in 1988. But there is still time for voters to change their minds and unanticipated events to take place. So is it a done deal or an open race?

POLITICS

By FRANCE 24

On the set:

Jean-Philippe THIELLAY, Vice-president, Terra Nova;
Benjamin HADDAD, National secretary, UMP.

Marc Perelman

French Politics Editor

14/03/2013 - POLITICS

Education reform: mission impossible?

If you want to look for trouble in France, here is one sure recipe: become Education minister and then try to reform the school system. Many have tried and most have failed. The current minister Vincent Peillon is trying to move what one his predecessors called a 'mammoth'.

07/03/2013 - POLITICS

National Front: the new strategy

The far-right national front party has for years done much better in presidential elections than in local polls. But its leader Marine Le Pen is determined to make sure her party gains a solid foothold in France's towns and villages by scoring big in next year's municipal elections. Riding the coattails of her growing popularity and of the deepening economic crisis, she hopes that her anti-European message will pay off.

28/02/2013 - POLITICS

Unemployment: from bad to worse

Promises, promises... French President François Hollande had made twin promises for this year: he would bring France's budget deficit under 3% of GDP and he would stop the unrelenting rise in unemployment by the end of the year. The deficit target has now officially been missed, and the unemployment pledge seems shakier by the day.

21/02/2013 - POLITICS

Family policy: the French taboo

When it comes to efficiency, France generally pales in comparison to Germany. But if there is one thing that works better here, it is family policy. France has a much higher birth rate than its mighty neighbour, thanks to generous benefits for parents and children. But with zero economic growth and a commitment to slash debt and deficits, the government is considering reducing a number of welfare programmes, including the sacrosanct family benefits.

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14/02/2013 - POLITICS

Economic crisis: can the Socialists stop the fire?

It was a sacred cow, the holy grail. France's budget deficit would not, repeat not, exceed 3% of its GDP. It was etched in stone; the Socialist government had taken drastic measures to cut the deficit down to that magic number. But the financial markets, the IMF, the EU, neighbouring countries and probably the average French person knew that this was mission impossible due to sluggish growth. This week, the government finally admitted the sad truth.

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year's end new veiw

by Anonyme - 02/05/2012 - 23:35

If France gave an amount of one percent of its GDP as rebate money to the citizens of France, through sales and various other taxes in theory, the government would re-acquire most or all of this money #*!. And furthermore, France and other EU countries could commence giving money away, so as to promote national re-acquirement through taxes And here is the pitch, present the present national deficit owing as separate and standing with beside this new French Citizens rebate deficit-owing; your present fiscal deficit and the new and popular “peoples rebate deficit-increase”
This calculation will increase your national deficit by 15-25 billion Euros, but it would also significantly increase revenue by the year’s end! This free money will come home and will provide massive stress reduction nationally and through-out the EU. It does not deal with your present financial crisis, but it will happily dissipate it into the collective whole.