Departmental elections in France see the National Front running neck and neck with the major parties. How they respond to the threat may determine the shape of the next presidential election.
Category: France
Election preview: French Senate
France's Socialist government is likely to lose its Senate majority on Sunday, but its longer-term future may depend on how well it can exploit internal divisions in the centre-right opposition.
Sarkozy down but not out
Nicolas Sarkozy, under investigation for corruption, could still play a vital role in the next French presidential election.
France gets a new prime minister
French president François Hollande responds to defeat in local elections by a bold shift to the right. His new prime minister evokes memories of Nicolas Sarkozy.
A bad day for M. Hollande
As expected, France's local elections were a disaster for the incumbent Socialist Party. François Hollande may be looking for a new prime minister, new policies, or both.
French local elections for beginners
The far-right National Front has done well in the first round of France's local elections. Here's what you need to know to understand the results.
French Socialists have more than sex to worry about
French president François Hollande is trying to put the recent crisis in his personal life behind him, but that's not the source of his political problems.
A new old president for Polynesia
Veteran anti-independence leader Gaston Flosse is back in charge in French Polynesia, but ongoing corruption charges mean that his tenure is far from assured.
France makes it official
A divisive debate comes to a close in France, with a largely party-line vote in favor of same-sex marriage.
Fundamentalism east and west
An anti-blasphemy demonstration in Bangladesh raises some questions about our perceptions of religious fundamentalism.
The World is Not Enough 