- FRANCE 24

25/05/2012 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

Air France: over-staffing and a jackpot bonus

The French press looks at the latest bad news for the economy. Air France is restructuring and layoffs are certain. Libération asks: what can the new left-wing government do? This as Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui-en-France reports on union anger that a former Air France CEO could, despite the economic crisis, get a "jackpot" bonus. That's the focus for this Friday, 25th May 2012.

23/05/2012 - France 2012

François Hollande: New president on the world stage

As we head towards key parliamentary elections on June 10th and 17th, the new French president and government are making their first steps. François Hollande went to Berlin, the US and Brussels in the space of a week. A man elected after a campaign focused on domestic topics is now mostly busy with international issues, from the Greek crisis to the war in Afghanistan.

23/05/2012 - FRENCH ELECTIONS 2012

Le Pen prepared to back socialists in French elections

Far right leader Marine le Pen has refused to rule out the possibility of supporting socialist candidates in June’s parliamentary elections. Some accuse her of being ‘incoherent’ but others see it as a canny ploy in her quest to rule the right.

(5) comments

21/05/2012 - FRENCH ELECTIONS 2012

Battle begins for control of France's parliament

Campaigning for France's parliamentary elections officially begins Monday in what is expected to be a fierce battle between left and right. Without a majority in the lower house, President Hollande will struggle to deliver on his campaign promises.

(3) comments

17/05/2012 - FRANCE

New French govt agrees 30% pay cut for president, ministers

France's new Socialist government agreed a 30% salary cut for the president and for members of the cabinet at its first meeting on Thursday. “It’s setting an example,” Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in a televised interview Wednesday.

(1) comment

16/05/2012 - MEDIA WATCH FRANCE

Jean-Marc Ayrault unveils France's new cabinet

We take a look at France's new government, where gender equality seems to be the order of the day. And France's former first lady plans to get her own back on the prying press, by writing them into her upcoming album.

09/05/2012 - POLITICS

François Hollande: A 'normal' president?

François Hollande is France's new leader; only the second Socialist president since 1958. But while Hollande has won the mother of all French political battles, he has not won the war. Both the Socialists and Conservatives are gearing up for crucial parliamentary elections in June. They will shape the Hollande presidency by deciding whether he will have a majority to implement his policies or not.

08/05/2012 - THE INTERVIEW

Charles Kupchan, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Affairs

Marc Perelman talks to Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Affairs. They discuss the impact of François Hollande's victory in the French presidential elections, and its impact on French foreign policy.

16/05/2012 - FRANCE

Hollande, Sarkozy put aside rivalry to mark VE day

After a bitter campaign and a close presidential election, Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande appeared together at a WWII commemoration in Paris on Tuesday. But the divisions within an increasingly polarised France may not be so easy to reconcile.

(7) comments

08/05/2012 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

The party's over (already)

There's no time for President Hollande to recover from the celebrations - his in-tray is already bulging with international summits, economic problems and policies he needs to get off the ground.