France holds municipal elections Sunday amid high-voltage tension between the Socialist government, battling record unpopularity, and the main opposition beset by scandal, while the far right is tipped to make a strong showing.
You can tell a politician is lying when he moves his lips, or so goes the old joke. But one election candidate in south-western France appears to have taken this literally, with a bizarre new campaign ad. See for yourself.
France’s political establishment has been coming to terms with the shock by-election victory of the far-right National Front. Some on the Left and Right have already begun the blame game, while others are making dire predictions for next year's elections. Here's a round-up of reactions in France.
French President François Hollande on Tuesday called Mali's election of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita "a success for peace and democracy." Seven months after sending troops to oppose Islamist rebels, Hollande vowed France would "stand by" Mali.
There is still a year to go until Parisians head to the polls to elect their city’s next mayor, but the knives are already out between the two women leading the race, amid accusations, counter-claims and the threat of a lawsuit.
Members of the French opposition have attacked Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault after his announcement this week that he intends to push ahead with plans to extend certain voting rights to all foreigners.
<p>Former Secretary of State for Family under Nicolas Sarkozy, Nadine Morano, has been criticised after defending herself against claims she is racist on French television last night.</p>
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<p>Twin rivalries – one political, the other amorous – doomed Ségolène Royal, former partner of French President François Hollande, to suffer a humiliating defeat in Sunday's legislative polls.</p>
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<p>Voters on the island of Corsica found a novel way to protest the recent introduction of new parking fees this weekend - by using parking tickets as voting slips.</p>
<p>French President Francois Hollande's Socialists and allies came out on top in Sunday's first round parliamentary elections, poised to secure the majority needed to push through tax-and-spend reforms.</p>
<p>Nicolas Sarkozy’s May Day rally at the Place du Trocedero, in front of the Eiffel Tower, was at the centre of an age-old dispute yesterday – the number of people estimated to have attended.</p>
<p>Controversial beauty contest “Miss Black France” crowned a Senegalese student in Paris this weekend. But the event, picketed by far-right protesters, has divided opinion in France.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anti-corruption campaigner Eva Joly looks likely to be the Greens' presidential candidate in 2012. The Norwegian-born European parliamentarian appears to have beaten rival candidate Nicolas Hulot.</p>
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