A late surge by far-left Communist Jean-Luc Melanchon, now overtaking scandal-mired Republican Francois Fillon in the polls, is turning the upcoming French election into a bookie’s paradise. It’s anyone’s guess how it will shake down. The Tony Blair-ish charm of the inexperienced young centrist thruster Emmanuel Macron may not be enough to see him to … Read more
Emmanuel Macron has taken a hissy fit over recent verbal attacks by the two populist political Italian leaders, Salvini and Di Maio, over immigration and the gilets jaunes (anti-French government demos) as they ramp up the rhetoric for the EU May elections. Macron has taken the unusual step of recalling the ambassador from … Read more
Inexperienced, centrist Emmanuel Macron and right-wing Marine Le Pen are through to the second round of the French election on May 7th. By all accounts, polls and bookies, Macron is a shoe-in. Apart from a waning Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Mars which has given him the impetus to rise out of … Read more
The upcoming French elections (April 23/May 7th) are more wide open than ever with Francois Fillon mired in a scandal about payments made to his wife. With tr Neptune moving to square his Mars and conjunct his Pisces Sun just before and through the election, he doesn’t look hopeful at all. Neither … Read more
After Brexit and Trump, there is more interest in the 2017 French Presidential Elections than usual, with the far-right, anti-EU Marine Le Pen being talked up as a possible shock winner next spring. The first vote is April 23 and likely to go to a second round on May 7. Tomorrow the Republicans (right-wing) … Read more
Nicolas Sarkozy has bounced back into French political life running in the primary for the centre-right party leadership, which votes this November, in preparation for the Presidential election next April/May. He’s running on a nationalist ticket, emphasising French identity and way of life, hoping to eat into Marine Le Pen’s far-right vote. His limp … Read more
Eric Zemmour, the far-right pundit, political journalist and writer is proving to be a surprise hit before he has even decided whether to run in next year’s French elections. His recent appearance in Paris was a sell-out and he has shot from nowhere to 15% in the polls. It’s not enough for a win but … Read more
The howls of gallic outrage from Emmanuel Macron over the political humiliation of being excluded from the Aukusa pact with the knock-on economic damage of a cancelled multi-billion submarine contract, are causing wry amusement elsewhere. There was already disquiet in Washington about EU investment agreements with China and the gas pipeline deal with Russia; and … Read more
Who to believe? Juncker breaching diplomatic protocol and leaking a private dinner conversation to trash Theresa May; or May doing her usual schoolmarmy barking orders at the EU as if they were her civil servants. Does Juncker’s snarl indicate supreme confidence or underlying panic and fear? Is May’s steely disdain a cover for a devilishly … Read more
The swamp will marinade more happily now that Trump has gone against an earlier decision and fired crusading New York US Attorney Preet Bahara. Over seven years Bahara earned a reputation as one of “the nation’s most aggressive and outspoken prosecutors” of public corruption and Wall Street crime, being even-handed about Republican and Democratic … Read more