04 May 2017 Et Après? Is France ready for a messiah? By Richard Pooley I was wallowing in French nostalgia last Saturday night. My wife and I were in a church in Queyssac-les-Vignes, a village ten minutes’ drive from us which sits on a saddle of land rising out from the northern rim of the… Continue reading Issue 103:2017 05 04:Et après? (Richard Pooley)
Tag: Francois Fillon
Issue 102: 2017 04 27: It’s not in the bag, Emmanuel (Richard Pooley)
27 April 2017 It’s not in the bag, Emmanuel What will the Mélenchon supporters do on May 07? By Richard Pooley Exciting, wasn’t it? Actually, no. Despite the warning by pollsters that the first round of the French presidential election was too close to call and hence reliable exit polls would not be published at… Continue reading Issue 102: 2017 04 27: It’s not in the bag, Emmanuel (Richard Pooley)
Issue 100:2016 04 13:The French election (Richard Pooley)
13 April 2017 The French election What can the literature teach us about the candidates and their policies? by Richard Pooley The election pamphlets have started appearing in my letter box, marking the official opening of the campaign to elect the next Président(e) de la République. Unofficially, of course, the campaign has been going on… Continue reading Issue 100:2016 04 13:The French election (Richard Pooley)
Issue 99:2017 04 06; It’s the debates which will win it (Richard Pooley)
06 April 2017 It’s the Debates which will win it. But for who? by Richard Pooley That the French love to discuss and pontificate is hardly news. Nor is it a stereotype. To see how important arguing the toss is to the French you only have to look at the timing and length of the… Continue reading Issue 99:2017 04 06; It’s the debates which will win it (Richard Pooley)
Issue 96: 2017 03 16: It’s the Bogeyman, stupid! (Richard Pooley)
16 March 2017 It’s The Bogeyman, Stupid! Playing the blame-game in France. By Richard Pooley For a few hours last Wednesday night and Thursday morning the majority of the French were able to escape from their presidential election and enjoy one of their greatest pastimes: watching those haughty Parisians making fools of themselves. Football club… Continue reading Issue 96: 2017 03 16: It’s the Bogeyman, stupid! (Richard Pooley)
Issue 95: 2017 03 09: Is he French toast? (Richard Pooley)
09 March 2017 Is He French Toast? Why Fillon may yet win. By Richard Pooley “Lorsqu’un politicien n’est pas cru, il est cuit.” So wrote François Kersaudy, French historian, professor of English at the University of Paris and author of a book on Churchill and De Gaulle. The good professor would probably translate his comment,… Continue reading Issue 95: 2017 03 09: Is he French toast? (Richard Pooley)
Issue95:2017 03 09:Week in Brief International
09 March 2017 Week In Brief: INTERNATIONAL NEWS Europe EU: Jean-Claude Juncker wrote to EU leaders, asking them to speed up deporting illegal immigrants, but also to take their quota of immigrants. He was urged not to make calls for further unification before upcoming elections in France, the Netherlands and Germany. A big leap in… Continue reading Issue95:2017 03 09:Week in Brief International
Issue 92:2017 02 16:Sans lui, le deluge (Richard Pooley)
16 February 2017 Sans lui, le déluge? Who will stop le Pen? by Richard Pooley For the past fifty-five years the French have had it easy when choosing their presidents. The presidential election has two rounds. In the first round you voted for whoever you liked most, safe in the knowledge that there would be… Continue reading Issue 92:2017 02 16:Sans lui, le deluge (Richard Pooley)
Issue 91:2017 02 09:Week in Brief International
09 February 2017 Week In Brief: INTERNATIONAL NEWS Europe FRANCE: An Egyptian wielding two machetes attacked a patrol of anti-terrorist soldiers in the Louvre. He was shot by one of the soldiers and is in hospital. New allegations by Le Canard Enchaîné claim that Francois Fillon’s wife received excessive redundancy pay when contracts as parliamentary… Continue reading Issue 91:2017 02 09:Week in Brief International
Issue 89:2017 01 26 : Week in Brief International
26 January 2017 Week In Brief: INTERNATIONAL NEWS Europe BELGIUM: Flemish MPs and Walloon MPs have united to uphold the serving of free beer and wine to them in the national parliament, a service which the parliamentary ethics committee recommended should be abolished. FRANCE: In the first round of elections for the leadership of the… Continue reading Issue 89:2017 01 26 : Week in Brief International
Issue 85: 2016 12 22: International News in Brief
22 December 2016 Week In Brief: INTERNATIONAL NEWS Europe AUSTRIA: The government plans to turn the birth-place of Adolph Hitler into a centre for the disabled. They have tabled a compulsory purchase order for the property in Braunau am Inn, and were originally planning to demolish it but realised that might amount to denying the… Continue reading Issue 85: 2016 12 22: International News in Brief
Issue83:2016 12 08:Eurexit(Neil Tidmarsh)
08 December 2016 Eurexit Change and renewal? Non, merci. Stagnation and decline? Si, per favore. by Neil Tidmarsh Goodbye Hollande, goodbye Renzi; and goodbye to Europe’s prosperity and global influence? Both leaders came to grief by proposing change and reform which their citizens roundly rejected; but without those changes and reforms, the possibility of Eurexit… Continue reading Issue83:2016 12 08:Eurexit(Neil Tidmarsh)
Issue 82:2016 12 01;Made it, Ma! Top of the World! (Neil Tidmarsh)
01 December 2016 “Made it, Ma! Top of the World!” You can’t have a criminal as head of state. Can you? by Neil Tidmarsh The best political joke in recent months? It came from Alain Juppé, the favourite and not-so-colourless contender in the recent race for the leadership of France’s Republican party. He was asked… Continue reading Issue 82:2016 12 01;Made it, Ma! Top of the World! (Neil Tidmarsh)
