As French Election Nears, a Bernie Sanders-Style Candidate Rises in the Polls

Alan Minsky / Truthdig Apr 12, 2017 The threat of proto-fascist Marine Le Pen continuing the trend started by Brexit and Donald Trump’s victory is tempered by the possibility that a socialist—Jean-Luc Melenchon -- could prevail. The threat of proto-fascist Marine Le Pen continuing the trend started by Brexit and Donald Trump’s victory is tempered by the possibility that a socialist—Jean-Luc Melenchon—could prevail. Dig deeper ( 11 Min. Read )

France’s Smartphone App Is Criticized for Its Slow Response to Tragedy in Nice

Staff / Truthdig Jul 16, 2016 Following the terrorist attacks in Paris last November, the French government launched a smartphone application to rapidly alert users of a breaking crisis. However, the app was reportedly three hours late in warning users of the crisis in Nice, France, on Thursday. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Two Weeks Into a Major Uprising, French Activists Still Staying ‘Up All Night’

Sonali Kolhatkar / Truthdig Apr 14, 2016 Like the Occupy Wall Street movement, the Paris “Nuit Debout” protests over labor reforms are fueled by social media, which allow people to communicate instantly with one another and bypass corporate media when it ignores them. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Paris Terror Attack Suspect Is Shot and Captured in Belgium

Eric Ortiz / Truthdig Mar 19, 2016 Salah Abdeslam, one of the most wanted men in the world, had evaded capture for four months as he slipped through the fingers of authorities on several occasions. Now the alleged mastermind of the November massacre of 130 faces extradition to France. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Why Are We Not Doing All We Can to Prevent Climate-Related Deaths?

Sonali Kolhatkar / Truthdig Dec 4, 2015 Global warming is a form of terror, perhaps the worst form. The finality of death is the same, whether we are gunned down in the streets or drown in the floods. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Hollande and Putin Meet as France Considers an Alliance With the Syrian Army (Video)

Juan Cole / Truthdig Nov 29, 2015 French President Francois Hollande met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, in his marathon search for a “grand and unique coalition” against Islamic State (Daesh) in Syria. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

If ‘Life Must Go On,’ Say Groups, France Must Lift Ban on Climate Protests

By Jon Queally / Common Dreams Nov 27, 2015 "We must not suspend democracy and freedom while proclaiming our commitment to democracy and freedom," declares a letter sent to French President François Hollande. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Theorist Judith Butler Warns That France Is on Way to Becoming an Extreme-Right Militarized State

Staff / Truthdig Nov 19, 2015 Writing from Paris in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks, theorist and professor Judith Butler laments some French citizens' willingness to give up civil liberties in return for a veneer of safety that masks the development of a stronger "security state and the narrowing versions of democracy before us." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Can France Craft an Alliance With Putin and Obama Against Islamic State? (Video)

Juan Cole / Truthdig Nov 18, 2015 French President Francois Hollande is seeking a new relationship with Russia after the Islamic State attacks on Paris and the Russian conclusion that a bomb downed a Russian airliner in Egypt’s Sinai last month. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

France Launches Airstrikes on Islamic State Stronghold in Syria

Kasia Anderson / Truthdig Nov 16, 2015 After Friday night's Islamic State-claimed terror attacks in Paris, French President Francois Hollande vowed that retaliation would be swift and forceful. By Sunday evening, he had taken action. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

After Paris Attacks, Critics Warn Against ‘Wars of Vengeance’

By Deirdre Fulton / Common Dreams Nov 16, 2015 Meanwhile, human rights advocates predict a backlash against refugees. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Paris at Midnight: Attempt to Push France Out of Anti-Islamic State Coalition in Syria?

Juan Cole / Truthdig Nov 14, 2015 It's likely that the perpetrators have stiffened the resolve of the French government to intervene even more robustly against Islamic State. In 2013, France sent in an expeditionary force to Mali and stabilized that country. France also intervened in Ivory Coast. Will it send in an expeditionary force, say a brigade of 3,000 men, to eastern Syria? Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )