French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with union leaders on Monday to discuss the potentially explosive issue of pension reform. He sought to reassure union leaders that he would not "force through" any new measure.
France's new anti-capitalist party, or NPA, is fielding a candidate for next month's regional elections who wears the Islamic headscarf. That has caused a furore in a country attached to secular values. Both the right and the left have accused the NPA of pulling a publicity stunt and undermining the republic.
The veil issue has shown its face in French politics once again, after radical anti-capitalist fringe party the NPA revealed that one of its candidates (pictured) in forthcoming regional elections wears an Islamic headscarf.
Marc Perelman interviews Raquel Garrido, national secretary of the Party of the Left; Philippe Raynaud, professor of political science at University of Panthéon-Assas; François Coustal of the New Anticapitalist Party; and Markus Kerber, professor of political economy at Technische Universität, Berlin.
In this edition: Guadeloupians and Martiniquans continue their protest against the high cost of living; a new book accuses France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner of conflict of interest; and a new anti-capitalism party is launched.
In this edition we look back at the extraordinary life of sister Emmanuelle who died just before her hundredth birthday; 'Taser' company is put on trial by far-left leader Olivier Besancenot and IMF director Strauss Khan at the centre of inquiry.
Olivier Besancenot 
