French press review 5 May 2010

Libération tells us today that "DSK has decided".
 
The DSK in question is Dominic Strauss-Kahn and the "decision" is to run in France 's presidential election in 2012. Strauss-Kahn of course exited stage left and went off to run the International Monetary Fund just after President Sarkozy came to power.
 
The left-wing paper says he is not yet a candidate for 2012 but that he has declared, to his close friends, an intention to run. The editorial says his road to an election would be bumpy - with potholes and obstacles in the form of fellow-socialists François Hollande, Ségolène Royale and Martine Aubry. 
 
We also learn today that Carla Bruni's husband doesn't read, or else doesn't heed, Le Monde, which last week was telling those in power to stop wittering on about a law to ban the burka.
 
President Sarkozy is on the front page of right-wing Le Figaro today in a fine fist-clenching photo, insisting that he's going to get this law through. Inside though he's looking decidedly more stately in the photo that accompanies a lengthy article entitled " 2012 in mind".  
 
The lead story in centrist daily Le Monde tells us that a major think-in took place yesterday in Paris on the subject of the city's housing crisis.
 
The less-than-radical solution that came out of the meeting was simply to "build more houses". Much more encouraging is news at the back of the paper that buses in Copenhagen are offering a new service if you're single. The buses now have pairs of red seats for single people to sit in, the plan being that between two stops on the 64A you might run into the love of your life. 
 
Like many of today's papers, Le Monde is also looking across the channel at tomorrow's UK election.
 
The paper says the British press has been feeling slightly left out of the campaign, as the TV debates have set much of the agenda during the race. It reminds us that The Times, The Sun and The Financial Times are all backing the Conservatives and that the Liberal Democrats have the support of The Guardian, The Independent.
 
The only encouragement for Labour's Gordon Brown is that The Daily Mirror is calling for people not to vote Conservative.
 
Paris's Le Parisien tabloid gives half its front page over to storms in the south of France - and staying with all things weather Le Figaro says that clouds of ash, again drifting over from Iceland's unpronouncable volcano could start causing air traffic problems in France, later this week. 
 
Business daily Les Echos has enticing stories about car production and civil service retirements dropping in numbers. And it also declares that, despite the hype, the UK 's working class expects nothing from tomorrow's election.