HKG3

Hopefully, the BBC article below can answer the questions you have about Macron's policies -

France election: What does centrist Emmanuel Macron stand for? - BBC News

Annetje

One has to assume the Russians are muddling it somewhere .....

Tweedpipe

F. Fillon's manifestation yesterday in Paris in terms of numbers present, appears to have been a success, but whether it was a total success is indeed debatable. Senior followers of Fillon have been rapidly abandoning ship these last few days adding to the confusion.
The surprise news this morning is A. Juppe's official announcement to the media that he will under no circumstance be part of a suggested 'plan B' to replace F. Fillon as the right-wing presidential candidate. Many have been speculating that Juppe not only was the person for this, but that he would jump at the opportunity.
If the situation was fraught with difficulty, it has overnight suddenly become even more complicated. The hundred thousand dollar question is, who, if anybody, may step into the breech as a possible alternative candidate? My personal very long-shot guess is, could it possibly turn out to be Francois Baroin.......? Imho in terms of experience he runs rings around E. Macron the centrist party presidential candidate. And he has charisma that Macron can only dream about. Having said that, I agree charisma isn't everything, "N'est-ce pas, Flamby?"
Watch this space!
(House of Cards is tame compared to what we're seeing playing out here in real life).

dmu

"Greek tragedy", as also mentioned on the radio,also comes to mind....
Baroin (yet another François) sounds a reasonable alternative if necessary and feasible, and Jean-Louis Borloo's name has cropped up (but I thought he was sick?).
In any case, I think the idea of Primaires will be dropped at the next Presidentielles!

Tweedpipe

No, I can't see JL Borloo getting back into politics in a big way. His wife would make a nice 1st lady though.......
I'd read too that he was having fairly severe health problems, and I believe a great deal of his time has been spent in environmental aid matters in Africa.
Getting back to A. Juppe's reasons for not wishing to be involved. That imho was a wise personal decision. One doesn't need to have a crystal ball to guess that the ghosts of his past would undoubtedly have been awakened with glee by the media. Rightly or wrongly he was adequately reprimanded in 2004, and bore the consequences.
One thing for sure that I believe most would agree on, he certainly has done marvelous things for the city of Bordeaux.

Tweedpipe

Here's a very clever political cartoon which caught my eye today.

Valls getting his own back on Hamon with a slingshot.
(Hamon was one of the rebels 'frondeur' in Hollande's government whilst Valls was prime minister).
Une 'Fronde' is also a catapult or slingshot.

Tweedpipe

Last night's viewing of the political debate by the 11 presidential candidates was a belter!
Mme TP and myself genuinely had never laughed so much since watching that great French comedy film Diner de Cons, or re-runs of Falwty Towers. Which is somewhat ironic, as one of the candidates reminded me in some ways (especially height and humour) of John Cleese. What a personality that Jean Lasalle! Completely offbeat, and who came out with some brilliantly rib-tickling lines.
Two of the candidates I wouldn't trust to correctly rule a straight line, let alone, rule France. And frighteningly enough (to quote Les Dawson) - one of those, truly had a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp, a perfect candidate imho for the ducking stool in the Elysee palace garden fountain.

Not unlike an elderly spinster's weekly laundry basket, so far this 2017 French election campaign has generally been sad and dirty.

dmu

We didn't watch it to the bitter end, but what we did see was alternately entertaining and annoying!

Novocastrian

With, I would argue, the exception of Macron. I was in Honfleur last night in a hotel (which I would be reluctant to recommend}, and listened to him addressing the Corscacan electorate.

He's a powerful and intelligent speaker, which is better than the rest.

Tweedpipe

The last statement "better than the rest" is debatable.
Agreed that Macron has made incredible progress of late in his orating ability, not surprising as he has been specifically aided by an opera singer coach if my memory is correct.
Although not someone I'm in the habit of listening to or supporting, Melenchon too is a very powerful and convincing speaker, and over the last month has been so convincing to so many, that his popularity has soared. Something I couldn't imagine at the beginning of the year. The way he appears to captivate his audience is imho a lesson to the others - including F.Fillon.
In a fairly recent, very interesting televised tete-a-tete with a young female journalist, in a pleasant, very informal setting, Melenchon was invited to address the interviewer by her first name - which he agreed to. Within minutes although the interview continued in a relaxed fashion he kept addresing her as 'Madame', and was obviously uncomfortable on being on first-name terms. A week later in another tv program he was asked to speak to a close friend of his, being relayed in the studio on an adjacent large screen. The friend greeted him correctly with a 'tutoiement' - as a close friend would. At this Melenchon flew into a rage, saying "Don't address me in that fashion, especally on live tv", to whch the friend was gobsmacked, and protested that as they were friends who had a habit of addressing each other by first name, he was at a loss to understand the sudden outrage. Very strange comportement indeed for someone wishing to run a country.
Whether it be drinking, smoking or whatever, I've always shunned anything 'extremist' (even the aforementioned action was imo extreme), so if I had the vote it obviously wouldn't be for either far-left or indeed far-right wing candidate.
But your guess is as good as mine who the first-round winners will be, let alone the final 'leader'.

Novocastrian

Yes, although I didn't watch the whole of the debate last week (they start so goddam late) I understand that Melanchon was adjudged to have done well and is now polling at ~17%.

Years ago, I would have thought this was encouraging, but knowing France and the rest of the world better now, I don't.

I still think the second poll will be Le Pen (fascist) vs Macron (centrist) Macron will win.

If not, I really don't know where to live next. Back to Canada? Yeuch.

Tweedpipe

Interesting. I too am very disillusioned - more than I ever imagined, as France was always my retirement dream location. In spite of having put down roots here, I already have medium-term thoughts on a move to Portugal or Malta - and even Mme TP is willing, and has been saying for several years that France appears to be practically ungovernable. Just look at recent events in French Guiana!

HKG3

What is going on in French Guiana?

dmu

You apparently don't live in France!
There's mention of it every day on the French News....

HKG3

Yes I don't live in France, I only read this thread because I am interested in this year's French election.

So please tell me what is happening in French Guiana. I did not manage to find anything in the UK newspapers.