Sarkozy was elected President of France after defeating Ségolène Royal of the Socialist Party on 16 May 2007. Before his presidency he held numerous other positions in government including Minister of the Budget. Sarkozy is married to Carla Bruni, a former model and singer-songwriter.
The former French president is accused of accepting envelopes stuffed with cash from ailing L’Oreal heiress Bettencourt to fund his 2007 election campaign.
Sarkozy was unexpectedly summoned for a face-to-face encounter with staff members of Liliane Bettencourt over claims he accepted envelopes stuffed with cash.
Bernard Arnault has created controversy with news that he is to become a Belgian citizen but he says he will continue to comply with French taxes which are set to rise for millionaires.
President Francois Hollande’s parliamentary majority will give him the opportunity to push through budget and tax reforms, and to move away from austerity towards growth.
With Francois Hollande in the lead, French president Nicolas Sarkozy traded blows his Socialist challenger ahead of Sunday’s presidential election vote.
French voters turned out in high numbers to cast ballots in the first round of France’s presidential elections, which will result in two candidates being put forward for the final vote.
France goes to the polls today in the first round of voting for the country’s next president. Can Nicolas Sarkozy secure a second term or will he be replaced in the Élysée? TheJournal.ie looks at the candidates and the issues…
Incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy faces a challenge to hold onto the presidency with polls showing that Socialist Francois Hollande is on course to win the election.
Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of ramping up raids in order to win votes in a tight election as his high-profile crackdown on radical Islamists continues.
Sarkozy has threatened to pull France out of the EU’s coveted visa-free Schengen zone unless the bloc makes progress on protecting borders from illegal immigration.
The French president, who is currently trailing in the opinion polls for next month’s election, said France needs to cut its number of immigrants and introduce tougher controls.
FRANCE HAS BECOME the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage after President Francois Hollande signed the measure into law today following months of bitter political debate.
In Ireland last month, 79 per cent of delegates at the Constitutional Convention voted in favour of same-sex marriage but the Government will hold off on a referendum until next year despite the overwhelming support.
It comes two years after the legalisation of Civil Partnership.
Is another year too long for a referendum on gay marriage? Or, are you opposed to the idea entirely?
So today, we want to know what do you think. Would you welcome the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ireland today, similar to France?
Cloudy, rain and drizzle in the p.m.
Max: 11 °C
Min: 9 °C
Partly sunny
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Nice with periods of clouds and sunshine
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Min: 9 °C
