Marc Perelman interviews Birgitta Orfali, Professor at René Descartes University; Thomas Klau, Paris bureau chief, European Council on Foreign Relations; Stefan Braendle, Journalist, Frankfurter Rundschau; Dr Matthew J. Goodwin, Research Fellow, Institute for Political & Economic Governance at Manchester University; and Jérôme Jamin, Researcher at the Center for Ethnic and Migration Studies, University of Liège, Belgium.
Marc Perelman interviews Birgitta Orfali, Associate Professor at René Descartes University; Thomas Klau, Paris bureau chief, European Council on Foreign Relations; Stefan Braendle, Journalist, Frankfurter Rundschau; Dr Matthew J. Goodwin, Research Fellow, Institute for Political & Economic Governance at Manchester University; and Jérôme Jamin, Researcher at the Center for Ethnic and Migration Studies, University of Liège, Belgium.
In this edition: the left is tickled pink when the second round of regional elections gives it over 54% of the vote, while President Nicolas Sarkozy responds with a cabinet reshuffle; 22 towns ask the state to foot the bill for the flu epidemic France had expensively prepared for; and a scientific experiment shows how easily ordinary people can be convinced to inflict pain, with no other reward than being on TV.
To be sure, the socialists and their allies were the main winners of the regional elections on Sunday, garnering over 50% of the votes. But the far-right also won big. Although its national score was around 9%, in the 12 regions where it ran, it gathered around 17.5% of the votes. Is the National Front back on track?
The French papers are all analyzing Sarkozy’s limited cabinet reshuffle this morning. What are the aims behind it? What does it tell us about Sarkozy’s priorities and about the famous divisions in the UMP party? TUESDAY, 23rd MARCH, 2010
Labour Minister Xavier Darcos (pictured) pays the price for the centre-right's calamitous defeat in French regional elections as President Nicolas Sarkozy carries out a minor cabinet reshuffle.
A day after France's ruling UMP party suffered a drubbing in regional elections, French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with his prime minister, François Fillon, amid expectations of a cabinet reshuffle.
The verdict is in for the French regional elections. This morning, the socialists and their Green and leftist allies are all smiles, having won 23 of the 26 regions. By contrast, heads are heavy at the ruling UMP. The left clamors that this was actually a referendum on Sarkozy and that it is now on course to challenge him for the presidential elections in 2012.
In today’s press review, we focus on France’s regional elections. Most newspapers celebrate the socialists’ victory, who won 21 regions out of 22 in mainland France.
