French far-right party elects new leader to replace Le Pen
November 6, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — European lawmaker Jordan Bardella replaced his mentor Marine Le Pen on Saturday at the helm of France’s leading far-right party, pledging to protect French civilization from perceived threats posed by immigration and defending a party member who made a racist remark in parliament.
Macron visits Paris mosque to mark its 100th anniversary
October 19, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron visited Paris’ central mosque on Wednesday to mark 100 years since it was built -- a presidential stop to project that the French leader is representing all factions of French society, united under one secular republic.
France reshaped: Election emboldens Le Pen, undercuts Macron
June 20, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — France faced an ecstatic Marine Le Pen on Monday after her party’s far-right candidates sent shockwaves through the political establishment and helped deny President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance a majority in parliament.
Why France’s parliamentary elections are important to Macron
June 11, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — Emmanuel Macron saw off the far right’s Marine Le Pen in April’s presidential election, but now the French president is facing a threat from the other end of the political spectrum in the fight for parliamentary power.
Emmanuel who? Far-right fighting hard-left for French vote
May 14, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — The stakes are high, the fight nasty and the party of centrist President Emmanuel Macron is the one to beat. But to a visitor from outer space, June's parliamentary election in France could look like a contest between the far right and the hard-left.
France’s President Macron inaugurated for second 5-year term
May 7, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron was inaugurated for a second term on Saturday, vowing to take action to avoid any further escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine and promising he would promote France and Europe on the world stage.
Far-right Le Pen plots parliament win after loss to Macron
April 25, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen gathered her party’s troops on Monday, not to mourn her loss a day earlier in the French presidential election but to plot how to orchestrate a victory in June's parliamentary vote and capture a majority of seats in the National Assembly.
Analysis: Loss is victory for far-right in France’s election
April 25, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — The far-right has gone mainstream in France.
That’s the headline from the landmark showing by Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election.
To Europe’s relief, France’s Macron wins but far-right gains
April 24, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron comfortably won a second term Sunday, triggering relief among allies that the nuclear-armed power won't abruptly shift course in the midst of the war in Ukraine from European Union and NATO efforts to punish and contain Russia's military expansionism.
EXPLAINER: How France’s old-school voting system works
April 24, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — Paper ballots tucked in paper envelopes. No absentee voting, and no early voting either. French voters in Sunday’s presidential election are using and old-school system that has defied calls for more flexibility or modernization.
French election: Macron in pole position, Le Pen racing hard
April 23, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is in the pole position to win reelection Sunday in the country's presidential runoff, yet his lead over far-right rival Marine Le Pen depends on one major uncertainty: voters who could decide to stay home.
France’s two presidential contenders: Who’s proposing what
April 23, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — It’s crunch time for voters in France as incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, is meeting far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen of the National Rally at the ballot box for Sunday’s final presidential vote.
Macron, Le Pen trade blows in final day of campaign
April 22, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — The finalists for France’s presidency, President Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen, traded blows on the last day of campaigning Friday as they tried to convince undecided voters why their political agenda — and not their rival's — is the right choice.
Le Pen’s far-right vision: Retooling France at home, abroad
April 22, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — No more Muslim headscarves in public. All schoolchildren in uniforms. Laws proposed and passed by referendum. Generous social services unavailable to foreigners unless they've held a job for five years.
Macron woos leftist voters as French campaign nears end
April 21, 2022 GMTSAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron visited a multicultural, working-class suburb north of Paris on Thursday to woo leftist voters ahead of Sunday's presidential runoff vote against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.
Tensions over race, religion in France’s presidential race
April 21, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — From attacks on “wokeism” to crackdowns on mosques, France’s presidential campaign has been especially challenging for voters of immigrant heritage and religious minorities, as discourse painting them as “the other” has gained ground across a swath of French society.
Macron attacks Le Pen on Russia, Muslim headscarf ban pledge
April 20, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron tore into his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen in a television debate Wednesday for her ties to Russia and for wanting to strip Muslim women of their right to cover their heads in public, as he seeks the votes he needs to win another 5-year term.
Russia’s Navalny accuses Le Pen of Kremlin ties before vote
April 20, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny stepped abruptly into France’s tight presidential campaign Wednesday, urging voters to back incumbent Emmanuel Macron and alleging that far-right challenger Marine Le Pen is too closely linked to Russia.
France: EU fraud agency investigating candidate Le Pen
April 18, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — Paris prosecutors are studying a report by the European Union's fraud agency accusing French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and other members of her nationalist party of misusing public funds while serving in the European Parliament.
Macron, Le Pen decry ‘shocking’ Stellantis CEO pay
April 15, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger in the French presidential vote, Marine Le Pen, on Friday both decried as “shocking” the multimillion euro payout to the CEO of carmaker Stellantis.
French presidential campaign spotlights Muslim headscarves
April 15, 2022 GMTPERTUIS, France (AP) — Muslim headscarves, a perennial issue in France, took center stage in the country's presidential campaign Friday amid far-right candidate Marine Le Pen’s push to ban them in the country that has western Europe's largest Muslim population.
In France’s election, a meaty issue unites Jews and Muslims
April 15, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — As she cooks lunch and talks politics, Sarah Gutmann has a nasty feeling — of would-be French president Marine Le Pen invading the privacy of her home and meddling with her Jewish faith and the plates of chicken and kosher sausages that she is frying for her husband and their eldest son.
French students block schools to protest presidential choice
April 14, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — Hundreds of French university students on Thursday occupied or blocked buildings at the Sorbonne in Paris and other schools to express their anger over France’s presidential election.
France’s Le Pen warns against sending weapons to Ukraine
April 13, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen warned Wednesday against sending any more weapons to Ukraine, and called for a rapprochement between NATO and Russia once Moscow’s war in Ukraine winds down.
Cheeky TV show becomes battleground in French election race
April 13, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — A French television news and entertainment show that has long delighted in poking fun at Marine Le Pen and her father has become a battleground in the far-right leader's election contest with President Emmanuel Macron.
France’s Macron faces angry voters as he fights for 2nd term
April 12, 2022 GMTMULHOUSE, France (AP) — Facing a tougher-than expected fight for reelection, French President Emmanuel Macron has hit the campaign trail at last — and it isn't always proving welcoming.
But he's not shying away from angry voters, instead engaging in lively, sometimes confrontational debates.
Far-right Le Pen campaigns as French ‘voice of the people’
April 12, 2022 GMTVERNON, France (AP) — Far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday described France as a nation that would put its people’s voices at the center of the political process if she is elected president in 12 days.
Potential far-right victory in France seen as threat to EU
April 12, 2022 GMTSTRASBOURG, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and extreme-right politician Marine Le Pen voiced two radically opposed visions of Europe on Tuesday: one resolutely advocating for the bloc of 27 nations, the other defending her French nationalist mottos.
Macron, Le Pen kick off French presidential runoff campaigns
April 11, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron declared Monday that he wants to “convince" a broad range of French voters to back his centrist vision, kicking off a two-week battle against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen ahead of the country's presidential runoff vote.
In France, it’s Macron vs. Le Pen, again, for presidency
April 11, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — Incumbent Emmanuel Macron will face far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in a winner-takes-all runoff for the French presidency, after they both advanced Sunday in the first round of voting in the country’s election to set up another head-to-head clash of their sharply opposing visions for France.
Beer flows, Champagne bubbles as Macron, Le Pen reach final
April 10, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — Beer flowed at incumbent Emmanuel Macron’s celebration of his first-round victory in the French presidential election, while Champagne corks popped across town to mark far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s second-place showing.
Voting in France: Paper ballots, in person, hand-counted
April 10, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French voters in Sunday’s presidential election will use the same system that’s been used for generations: paper ballots that are cast in person and counted by hand.
Macron confident as far-right rival closes in ahead of vote
April 8, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron said Friday he has no fear of losing France’s presidential election, despite far-right rival Marine Le Pen narrowing the gap in opinion polls days before the first-round vote.
Poland, France trade barbs over Russia’s war on Ukraine
April 8, 2022 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland on Friday summoned France's ambassador over French President Emmanuel Macron's reference to Poland’s prime minister as a “far-right anti-Semite” in a budding feud over Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Macron leads polls but turnout a big question in French vote
April 6, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron is the clear favorite in France's presidential race, yet a big unknown factor may prove decisive: an unprecedented proportion of people say they are unsure who to vote for or don’t intend to vote at all, bringing a large dose of uncertainty to the election.
French far-right leader Le Pen softens image for election
April 3, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French nationalist leader Marine Le Pen has softened her rhetoric and her image to broaden her appeal in next week’s presidential election — but is under threat from a provocative rival who has broken her monopoly as the watchdog of the country’s identity that they claim is under threat.
Macron holds 1st big rally; Rivals stir up ‘McKinsey Affair’
April 2, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron held his first big rally Saturday in his race for reelection, promising the French more “progress” and “solidarity” over the next five years, but his campaign has hit a speed bump.
French conservative Pécresse holds big presidential rally
February 13, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — A conservative politician vying to become France’s first female leader is hoping to boost her declining fortunes in the campaign so far with her first major rally.
Less than 60 days from the April 10 first round of France's presidential election, Valérie Pécresse, 54, is struggling to take off in the polls — despite having had an initial boost last year when she was picked to be the French conservatives’ first female presidential candidate.
French far-right presidential candidates fight for limelight
February 5, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — France’s dueling far-right presidential candidates held back-to-back campaign rallies Saturday, trying to steal each other’s thunder and keep their nationalist, anti-immigration agenda front and center in the race for April's presidential election.
Polish prime minister defends meeting of European populists
December 6, 2021 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday defended a recent meeting of European populist leaders by saying Poland is seeking allies in its challenge of what he called a “centralized Europe.”
Le Pen: The right takes step to build ‘big European force’
December 4, 2021 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — European right-wing populist leaders declared Saturday they will cooperate more closely at the European Union's parliament in order to defend the sovereignty of their bloc's 27 member nations.
Le Pen honors Jewish, Polish victims of WWII in Warsaw
December 3, 2021 GMTFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen paid her respects to Jewish and Polish victims of World World II on Friday, on the eve of a Warsaw gathering of right-wing European party leaders that she will attend.
France’s Le Pen visits Hungary in bid for nationalist allies
October 26, 2021 GMTBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen held talks Tuesday with populist Hungarian Prime Minster Viktor Orban in Budapest, a meeting the two politicians said advanced the cooperation of Europe's nationalist forces.
Two women campaign to become France’s 1st female president
September 12, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — Two French politicians kicked off their presidential campaigns Sunday, seeking to become France’s first female leader in next year’s spring election.
The far-right National Rally party's Marine Le Pen and Paris' Socialist mayor, Anne Hidalgo, both launched their presidential platforms in widely expected moves.
France: Thousands protest against vaccination, COVID passes
July 17, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — Over 100,000 people protested across France on Saturday against the government’s latest measures to push people to get vaccinated and curb rising infections by the delta variant of the coronavirus.
French far-right chief lays out plans for presidential race
July 4, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen says she will stick with her strategy of making her party a more mainstream political force despite a stinging loss in France's regional elections, and that tactic will carry her into next year's presidential race.
French far-right chief criticized for her mainstream turn
July 3, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is facing stinging criticism for making her party too mainstream, dulling its extremist edge and ignoring grassroots members, with some warning that this could cost her votes in next year's presidential race.
France’s regional vote shows weakness of Macron and Le Pen
June 28, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party was decimated in this weekend’s regional elections and Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration far-right party failed, throwing a hitch into expectations that the presidential race in 10 months will be a showdown between the two politicians.
French far right beaten in regional elections
June 27, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — Mainstream candidates delivered a stinging setback to France’s far right in regional elections Sunday, thwarting its hopes of winning control of a region for the first time and slowing its momentum ahead of the presidential contest next year.
Nasty Riviera campaign key to hopes of France’s far-right
June 25, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — The best chance of victory for Marine Le Pen’s far-right party in this weekend’s French regional election runoff is a European lawmaker who meets regularly with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and celebrated Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Far right falters as conservatives lead French regional vote
June 20, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — Marine Le Pen’s far-right party stumbled, French President Emmanuel Macron's centrists crashed and incumbent conservatives surged ahead in the first round of regional elections Sunday that were dominated by security issues and a record-low turnout.
French far-left chief floured in march against far right
June 12, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — A French far-left leader got a face full of flour at the start of a Paris march Saturday against “the ideas of the far right,” days after the French president was slapped while greeting a crowd.
EU’s Brexit chief eyes a role in French presidential vote
May 5, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — He’s well known in the U.K., and his photo was regularly splashed across the front pages of European newspapers. But as presidential elections approach in France, Michel Barnier – the EU’s Mr...
French PM condemns 20 retired generals who warned of ‘chaos’
April 28, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Jean Castex condemned on Wednesday an open letter in a right-wing magazine by 20 retired generals that raised the specter of chaos in France and hinted the military could take action if nothing were done to prevent it...
Rising French far-right star resurfaces and flirts with fire
July 7, 2019 GMTPARIS (AP) — She vowed to stay out of politics and even dropped the French far right's signature name — Le Pen — from her moniker...
Link between Italy’s Salvini and Hungary’s Orban downplayed
May 30, 2019 GMTBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A top aide to Hungary's prime minister said Thursday that he sees only a "slight possibility" that Viktor Orban's Fidesz party will link up with Italy's Matteo Salvini in a coalition in the European Parliament.
French far-right makes big demands on Macron after small win
May 27, 2019 GMTPARIS (AP) — If French far-right leader Marine Le Pen gets her wish, her National Rally party, victorious in the European Parliament election, will force a dissolution of France's own parliament and lure opponents to her cause...