Criticism by U.K. Prime Minister Cameron of proposals by French President Hollande to hike tax rates on the rich sparked irritation in France; a closer look reveals that the U.K. is hardly the Thatcherite paradise the posh Cameron …
France
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 20, 2012
Among today’s required reading: Western web attacks on Iran, the Bo Xilai story just keeps giving and testy exchanges between the U.K. and Argentina in Mexico.
After Socialist Romp in Elections, France’s Conservatives Face Existential Crisis
French President François Hollande’s Socialists win formidable legislative control, while France’s conservatives suffer the consequences of having pandered to the country’s far right
Hollande’s Socialists Win Parliamentary Majority in French Elections
The French parliamentary elections hand Socialists and their leftist allies the large majority that President François Hollande needs to pass progrowth policies — and challenge German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s austerity …
Sex, Scandal and Soap Opera Precede a Key French Vote
The feud between President Hollande’s current and former lovers has sparked a titillating controversy among French Socialists. But the right has to deal with a thinly disguised novelization of backroom scandals in the stronghold …
Tweet Attack: French First Lady Swipes at President’s Former Partner
Valérie Trierweiler stuns France — and President François Hollande — by backing a dissident leftist challenger over official Socialist candidate (and mother of Hollande’s children) Ségolène Royal in Sunday’s legislative elections
François Hollande’s Leftist Allies Lead French Vote
Leftist parties appear set to capture a majority in France’s parliamentary elections, leaving François Hollande with a freer hand to enact the pro-growth, socially-attentive policies he’s promised amid Europe’s debt crisis.
What Did France’s Political Elite Know About DSK’s Sex Habits?
A new book on Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former IMF chief disgraced by scandals, reveals to what extent his friends and rivals knew about his sexual proclivities
What French Anti-Terrorism Forces Learned from the Toulouse Killing Spree
More young radicals are following in the footsteps of Toulouse killer Mohamed Merah by traveling from Europe to al-Qaeda training spots on their own, instead of through established terrorist networks
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 7, 2012
Syrian Shame – The Washington Post reports on unconfirmed accounts of a fresh massacre in Syria on Wednesday, just as representatives from 55 countries met in Washington to explore ways to sharpen sanctions against the Assad …
Must-Reads from Around the World: June 5, 2012
High Stakes — The Guardian reports that Germany is weighing up a plan for a eurozone banking union to end the debt crisis, as Spain pleads for an E.U. rescue of its beleaguered banks. “The plan could see vast national debt and …
Meet French Candidate Marion Maréchal-Le Pen: Third-Generation Extreme-Right Militant
Though the surprising success of extreme-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen may have made her the most attention-grabbing contestant in France’s recent elections, the 43 year-old National Front (FN) leader may soon find …
Despite the High Stakes, French Voters Yawn at Legislative Campaigns
No one ever expected France’s legislative elections to produce the sparks and passion that this year’s presidential contest did. But given the stakes involved for France—and Europe—in whether Socialist President François …