France's president decides to bow out of a contest that seemed hopeless. But it's not clear that his party will do any better in his absence.
Category: France
Fillon’s triumph sets up a centre-left dilemma
No surprises in the second round of France's Republican primary, but it foreshadows a fascinating presidential election in five months' time.
Republicans opt for Fillon
François Fillon, whether you think of him as a liberal or conservative, is now the odds-on favorite to be the next president of France.
Another Republican primary, this time in France
France's centre-right opposition is voting to select a presidential candidate, amid differing views on how to deal with the threat from the far right.
How UKIP saved the world (sort of)
Another way of looking at the Trump-Brexit analogy.
Hollande’s rocky road to re-election
French president François Hollande will have to win the vote of his own party before he can stand for re-election – and even then it will be hard work to make it to the second round.
What happened in France
The National Front's failure to win control of any French regions isn't particularly surprising or mysterious.
Fascism on both sides of the Atlantic
There's been some very interesting discussion on whether to call Donald Trump a fascist, a debate that has particular resonance with the rise of the National Front in France.
New regions, new politics
French regional elections tomorrow will tell us more about the size of the surge for the far-right National Front and the impact of the recent terrorist attacks.
Family, fascism and respectability
France is spellbound as the National Front's drive for modernisation is embodied in conflict within its first family.
The World is Not Enough 