French Politiques for an Anglophone Audience
François Hollande, facing approval ratings of roughly 25%, the lowest of any French president over the past 50 years, and opposition from within his own party, tried to rally support in a press conference last Thursday, May 16. Since his election last year, Hollande’s poll ratings have steadily declined, apart from a brief boost following […]
In an act of political protest, extreme far-right historian, Dominique Venner, committed suicide in front of the altar in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Tuesday. He left a letter explaining his motives on the altar and shot himself through the mouth while regular tours were taking place. Police quickly evacuated the cathedral, as an […]
A bill proposed by the Front de gauche (FDG) eliminating the word “race” from French legislation was adopted by the National Assembly last Thursday. The term is to be deleted from the Code Pénal, the Code de procedure pénale, and from the law on the freedom of press. André Chassaigne, Communist deputy and President of […]
Last week, the French President celebrated his first anniversary in the Elysée Palace, the heart of the Republic. However, after one year in power, Hollande’s approval ratings reached the lowest point ever for a French President, the economy has entered into recession and society is divided on the new law authorizing marriage and adoption for […]
Former French Prime Minister François Fillon has declared that he will be a candidate in the next presidential election. He stated his intention to run in an informal interview after receiving an honor in Tokyo. Though the presidential race is still four years away, Fillon declared that he would run “no matter what.” While he […]
Hollande and the Parti Socialiste (PS) have finally introduced a bill regarding the closing of viable industrial sites, which was promised during his campaign in February of last year. The proposal came shortly after the ArcelorMittal steelworkers in Florange erected a tombstone dedicated to Hollande, marked with the word “betrayal”. Hollande had visited the site […]
Another possible food scandal came to light last Thursday following a report by France Bleu Gascogne on France Info, overshadowing the European horsemeat scandal. In a complaint filed on April 16, 2012, five former gaveurs accused Euralis, one of the largest producers of foie gras in the Southwest region of France, of merchandise fraud. The […]
May 5 in Paris, thousands of people surrounded Place de la Bastille demanding changes in President François Hollande’s unsuccessful austerity policies. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, one of the founders of the Front de Gauche (FG), organized the rally this Sunday, following the May 1 Labor Day protests. Mélenchon reported that 180,000 came out to the event. With […]
On Friday, April 26, a French Parti Socialiste (PS) document on Europe was released, putting pressure on already strained Franco-German relations. The document accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of “selfish intransigence” in her unbending efforts to enforce austerity measures throughout the troubled eurozone. As Europe’s economic troubles continue, particularly in France where growth has come […]
François Hollande has been in power for almost a year. He was elected on a platform containing three main themes: fight unregulated finance, do politics differently, and solve the chronic deficit of the national budget. He was elected by a wide coalition of voters, ranging from a traditional – now seen as radical and old […]
