Latest update: 22/11/2012 

- François Fillon - French politics - Jean-Francois Copé - L'Oreal heiress scandal - Marine Le Pen - Nicolas Sarkozy - UMP


UMP leadership battle: soap opera-turned-vaudeville

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Nicolas Sarkozy's party is in disarray amid a bitter leadership battle to replace him. The French press reports on François Fillon's move to contest rival Jean-François Copé's win. The consensus is that it is a major fiasco that plays into the hands of Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front. That's the focus of the press review this Thursday 22nd November, 2012.

IN THE PAPERS
By Nicholas RUSHWORTH

Le Parisien-Aujourd’hui-en-France is leading on the leadership problems within the opposition UMP. The headline: “Tout cela ne fait pas très serieux!” (“It’s all rather ridiculous!")

Le Figaro says the party has plunged back into chaos.

Libération takes a swipe at Nicolas Sarkozy’s campaign slogan "La France Forte" ("A Strong France") with a headline saying the Fillon-Copé rivalry is too strong: "Trop forte, la droite".

The satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo says “And the winner is …” showing far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen holding up the hands of the two rivals at the end of the boxing match, implying that her party has benefited.

And Rue 89 reports on a UMP party member who says he’s quitting the party. He does not want to be ‘annexed’ to the far-right.

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