Between the idea and the reality falls the shadow. The art of politics is to illuminate the landscape while casting the smallest possible shadow. The five of 11 French presidential candidates standing highest in the polls will face off tonight in a televised debate.
France
Posted inAmerica and the World
Twisting Slowly in the French Wind
François Fillon, who at the end of last year looked like a sure bet to become the next president of France, has been repudiated by many in his own party in the wake of a scandal involving the misuse of government funds for his own benefit. His campaign manager and chief spokesperson have resigned. Where does this leave the increasingly surreal French presidential race?
Posted inAmerica and the World
France Chooses a New President
The 2017 presidential race in France has already produced one major upset and may yet see several others before a new president is chosen in May. Whatever happens, the Fifth Republic is no longer the regime Charles de Gaulle conceived in his own image nearly 60 years ago. Nor is the Socialist Party the force that François Mitterrand conceived in his own image a decade and a half later. The end of an era has arrived.
Posted inAmerica and the World
Will Marine Le Pen Become France’s Next President?
Next spring’s French presidential contest is shaping up as a battle between the right and the far right. Will a majority coalesce around the right-wing candidate to keep the far right out of power as in 2002? Will a viable challenger emerge on the le
Posted inAmerica and the World
In France, Another Stunning Election Upset
Former Prime Minister François Fillon crushes the opposition in the first round of the primary for the presidential nomination of the center-right Republican primary. The winner of the runoff could well become France’s next president—if he can beat Marine Le Pen.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Us and Them: A Tale of Two Electorates
In both France and the United States, substantial numbers of voters feel deprived of voice and eager to identify with pugnacious politicians prepared to transgress what used to be the limits of political respectability.
Posted inBooks, Arts and Culture
The Beach Movie of the Absurd
The Burkini fuss isn’t just an embarrassment for France. Diversity is under attack across the West.
Posted inLaw and Justice
A Turn in European Terror
Targets of terror in France and Germany have shifted from well-defened government facilities to more vulnerable public spaces.
Posted inAmerica and the World
Terror on the Bay of Angels
France is on the verge of losing its grip in the wake of repeated mass murder by members of its own minority communities.
Posted inAmerica and the World
In French Politics, May Is the Cruelest Month
In France, May is the month of protest pageantry, but often the real action takes place offstage.
