Author: Eszter-Petronella SOÓS
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52. The year of political death
For an analysts like me, it is kind of obligatory to consider the passing year. Whose year was it? What was the year about? I could easily say that 2016 was the year of the Fillon-surprise, but in fact, it was rather the year of political death. In 2016 – unexpectedly or not – France…
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51. Marine Le Pen: one step closer to the presidency
So far, when people asked me about the French presidential elections, I have always answered that whosoever won the Republican primary on 27 November, was likely to become the next French president. In this sentence, the keyword is “so far”. Donald J. Trump’s victory has created a whole new situation, at least mentally. Marine Le…
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50. Someone please tell me what Hollande is doing…
A book based on about 100 hours of interviews with François Hollande was published by two Le Monde journalists, Gérard Davet and Fabrice Lhomme. The title “A President Shouldn’t Say That…” practically tells all. I do not know what Hollande’s intention with this book was. To improve his image, or to enter the presidential campaign?…
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49. French government intervenes to save iconic Alstom industrial plant from closure
Sarkozy’s “affairs” and Hollande’s book are certainly interesting and entertaining for those interested in French politics. The “big issue” of September, though, is the planned closure of Alstom’s TGV industrial plant in Belfort in 2018. The announcement of Alstom has forced almost all political actors to make resolutions. And the government came up with a…
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48. Disappointing growth, suffering tourism
Economic success would be necessary for President François Hollande to reduce unemployment and to legitimate his 2017’s re-election bid (and people also want that growth badly – for obvious reasons). But outstanding economic growth remains a mere dream. As it recently turned out, GDP growth (on a year-on-year basis) was exactly zero in the second…
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47. State of emergency and other proposals: this is where we are
Parliament extended the state of emergency until 2017. Six more months. Meanwhile, the situation have become more complicated, because more and more concrete anti-terrorism proposals come to light. The debate about political responsibility after Nice goes on.