President Hollande: is he too soft?

François Hollande knew it would be hard. But the new Socialist president probably did not imagine it would be this hard when he was elected back in May. And yet, the bad news keeps piling up, with unemployment hitting the 3-million mark and Hollande's polling numbers down. The French are growing impatient with the new administration and wonder whether Hollande is up to the job. Is he too soft or can he rise to the challenge?

FACE-OFF

By FRANCE 24

On the set:

Philip Turle, Journalist, RFI
Grégory Viscusi, Reporter, Bloomberg News

13/06/2013 - FACE-OFF

Claude Guéant: Sarkozy's lieutenant in trouble

Claude Guéant was for years the shadow of Nicolas Sarkozy, his right-hand man, his closest adviser. Now, he is in a lot of trouble as revelations about his financial dealings keep piling up. Another scandal making waves and involving the entourage of the former president is the so-called Bernard Tapie affair, with the government looking into how this tycoon received 400 million euros in a private arbitration scheme fraught with suspicion.

06/06/2013 - FACE-OFF

Death of anti-fascist activist: France's far-right in the crosshairs

His name was Clément Méric. He was a 19-year-old student in political sciences and a left-wing activist. On Wednesday night, he was beaten to death in central Paris by what appears to be a gang of far-right youngsters. His death has prompted a wave of indignation and comes on the heels of a very heated debate on gay marriage. Also this week: Nicolas Sarkozy crossed the Channel and hinted at a political comeback.

(1) comment

30/05/2013 - FACE-OFF

Gay marriage: the end of the story?

That's it, the first gay mariage was celebrated on Wednesday in Montpellier after months of tension and polarization. Will the sound and the fury die down? Also this week, France and Germany are spending the week together, with a joint initiative to boost youth employment, a joint report on competitiveness and Angela Merkel visiting Paris to lay the ground for a Franco-German major initiative at the European level.

23/05/2013 - FACE-OFF

Energy: is Europe losing the battle?

Is Europe losing the energy battle? As the US goes full steam ahead with shale gas exploration, European leaders are wondering if their environmental concerns are becoming an obstacle to growth. Also this week, despite the promulgation of the gay marriage bill, the issue continues to send shockwaves across the political spectrum. Especially on the right, where the UMP party, after embracing the opposition to the bill, is now unsure how to deal with it.

17/05/2013 - FACE-OFF

Presidential press conference: Hollande in the hot seat

This Thursday, François Hollande held his second full-fledged press conference at the Elysée Palace. With unemployment skyrocketing, France officially in recession and his popularity at a record-low, the French president used that opportunity to defend his record and promise that year II of his presidency will be a year of action. On Europe, on unemployment and on the explosive reforms of the pension system and family benefits. Will this be enough to ignite a comeback?