December 2, 2008 10:35:53 AM CST
(Newser) – Socialist candidate Ségolene Royal scored points for passion and toughness, and conservative Nicolas Sarkozy for policy brilliance in the French presidential debate last night. Commentators said Royal, who was trailing in opinion polls, helped close the gap by seizing the offensive, turning the tables on the notoriously combative Sarkozy.
Royal accused Sarkozy of tough talk but a flailing lack of action as interior minister, calling it "the height of political immorality." Sarkozy countered that the socialists’ 35-hour work week was a “catastrophe for France." With the runoff election scheduled for Sunday, the debate was watched by more than 20 million viewers—an audience rivaled only by World Cup matches.
Source Guardian (UK)
Nov 28, 08 4:25 PM CST An appeals court in France essentially told the nation's president to lighten up today. The court rejected a bid by Nicolas Sarkozy to ban voodoo dolls made in his likeness, the International Herald Tribune reports. It ruled that the dolls can continue to be sold, only now they must have a red label declaring that poking the mini-Sarko constitutes an attack on his dignity. The court also awarded Sarkozy a token euro in damages and told the doll maker to pay $2,000 in legal fees. More »
Nov 25, 08 2:54 PM CST Martine Aubry has edged out rival Ségolène Royal to become the leader of France’s Socialist Party, the BBC reports. A recount of last week’s vote, requested by Royal, actually widened Aubry’s winning margin. Royal, the party’s presidential candidate last year, said she would not accept confirmation of the vote by the national leadership, which leans against her. Aubry will be the first woman to lead the party. More »
Nov 21, 08 7:07 AM CST Ségolène Royal has emerged as the strongest candidate to take over France's Socialist Party as a bitter leadership contest goes to a runoff today, Reuters reports. Royal, defeated by Nicolas Sarkozy in last year's presidential race, will face Martine Aubry, the mayor of Lille who as a minister introduced the controversial 35-hour working week. Royal polled 42% while Aubry won 35%; either will become the first woman to lead the party. More »
Nov 20, 08 9:19 AM CST Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin will face trial for his role in an alleged smear campaign against Nicolas Sarkozy, who outmaneuvered him for the presidency. The "Clearstream Affair" scandal dates to 2004, when an anonymous source sent a judge a list of politicians, including Sarkozy, said to be laundering bribes through a Luxembourg bank. But the list turned out to be bogus and a brouhaha erupted, the Guardian writes. More »
Nov 16, 08 1:34 PM CST The plans outlined by global leaders at the meeting to deal with the financial crisis reflect a shifting balance of power, with emerging economies such as Brazil, India, and China gaining influence, the Washington Post reports. And the Europeans largely got what they wanted from the summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after the emergency meeting ended yesterday. More »
France • Nicolas Sarkozy • election • Segolene Royal • French elections
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