The French president's weak position has forced him to act prematurely by changing his PM and bringing in Ségolène Royal This reshuffle is François Hollande's biggest gamble, and has the whiff of a last-ditch gambit from a man less than halfway through his five-year mandate. Hollande had hoped to change prime minister next year, to prepare for his re-election battle in 2017. But his rapidly...
François Hollande's former partner returns to national stage as environment minister in president's 'government of combat' ...
This photographer once dismissed as a shallow sensation-seeker of the 80s is getting the recognition he deserves with a show at the Grand Palais, Paris's high temple of art and it's all down to Smith The Grand Palais in Paris is one of Europe's most serious exhibition spaces. It is where France honours its great artists. This week, it opened a big exhibition dedicated to a US artist who has often been...
Twenty-one-year-old is the fourth young foreign national to be murdered in Brisbane since November Police are appealing for assistance in the search for the killer of a 21-year-old French woman, whose body was found in a Brisbane park on Friday. Sophie Collombet had been studying at Griffith university since arriving in February last year. ...
France's new prime minister, Manuel Valls, has unveiled a 'combat government' with some surprising appointees The new French prime minister, Manuel Valls, has caused surprise and shock with his choice of ministers to form the country's "combat government". ...
M&S commits to stores in major French cities, plus Brussels and Amsterdam, and seeks sites in Italy and Spain Marks & Spencer is having a second go at exporting its uniquely British mix of clothing and crumpets to mainland Europe, pressing the button on expansion in France and scouting for sites in the big Italian and Spanish cities. The British retailer made a humiliating exit from the continent...
The key actors were not those who cast their votes but those didn't, with the worst turnout in France for 50 years To indicate that you are fed up or that you've had it up to here with something, the French phrasebook says, hold your hand up to your forehead as if shielding your eyes from the sun, and drag it across your forehead while saying "J'en ai ras le bol!" That, in a nutshell, is...
Valls, like a long line of politicians before him, is happy to be called the 'Heir to Blair'. Just don't mention the word 'socialist' Name: Manuel Valls. Age: 51. ...
A rival of Hollande for the 2011 presidential nomination, the new French prime minister is on the right of the Socialist party Manuel Valls, 51, was born in Barcelona, Spain, the son of a Catalan painter and a Swiss Italian mother. He joined the Socialist party at 17 and took French nationality three years later. He speaks four languages and has four children by his first wife. In 2010, he married...
Interior minister, Manuel Valls, named as successor as François Hollande attempts to limit damage to his leadership The French prime minister resigned on Monday after President François Hollande and his Socialist government suffered a crushing defeat in local elections . ...
With Paris's bridges groaning under the weight of an estimated 700,000 padlocks scrawled with lovers' names, campaigners say it's time to end the love locks 'madness' What do you think: charming sign of love or act of vandalism? Let us know in the comments below For some they are a symbol of everlasting love. For others they are a rusting eyesore. But now the "love locks" padlocks engraved...
Voters know the Front National leader offers little to workers, but she was up against a man regarded as 'the president of the rich' In the end it was not the triumph that some had trumpeted last week. On Sunday the Front National made significant gains in the second round of the municipal contest by securing the election of more than 1,400 local councillors (up from 60), and by winning 13 municipalities...
Initial count has Hidalgo as first female Paris mayor but far-right Front National also does well in dismal night for Hollande Paris l ooked set to elect its first female mayor on Sunday night, but the victory for socialist Anne Hidalgo was an isolated piece of good news for President François Hollande's embattled party. The exit polls showed that Spanish-born Hidalgo, 54, was estimated to have...
Municipal election misery forecast for president with Marine Le Pen's Front National poised to win record number of seats France is going to the polls on Sunday for a second-round vote that is likely to see François Hollande punished with a rise in support for the far right. The Front National (FN), led by Marine Le Pen, is on track to win an unprecedented number of local council seats and even...
The damages Closer magazine has to pay to François Hollande's mistress look low but only by inflated UK standards Though the President's mistress (mark two) won her privacy case against Closer , instant wisdom says she really lost it because the magazine had to pay her just 15,000. What François Hollande and Julie Gayet (right) might call a no-score draw. Are the French really so tough on extra-marital...
The FN already has a new mayor and could end up in control of five towns or cities after a strong showing at the polls, with Marine Le Pen declaring 2014 'year zero' for French politics The historic city of Avignon is up for grabs. So is Perpignan, as is Fréjus on the south coast. In local elections on Sunday, Marine Le Pen's Front National (FN) is hoping to snatch up to 15 towns and cities...
Provençal city faces up to prospect of FN future after party's candidate comes top in first round There has been little dancing on the celebrated Pont d'Avignon of late. Since Monday morning when the historic Provençal city woke up to find that it was facing a future under the far-right Front National party, there has been a sense of shock, stupefaction and among those who voted for the party...
The punishment for Closer magazine having breached the privacy of Julie Gayet is risible. A French court has ordered the publishers to pay her damages of 15,000 (£12,000) and to publish its ruling on the front page of its next issue. ...
Current account deficit "horrible" at £22.8bn Eurozone sentiment hit 5-yr high in March Germany backs UK demand to protect interests of non eurozone members Insurance stocks hammered as UK regulator plans probe of 30m policies 1.32pm GMT I promised German inflation data, and finally, here it is. Germany's statistics agency has reported that prices are expected to have risen by 1.0% in March 2014 on...
Magazine breached her privacy after publishing photos apparently exposing relationship with François Hollande A French court has ordered the gossip magazine Closer to pay 15,000 (£12,000) in damages to the actor Julie Gayet for breaching her privacy after it published photos apparently exposing her relationship with the president, François Hollande. The sum fell short of the 50,000 Gayet,...