French press review 21 March 2015

France’s new draft Intelligence law is Le Monde’s front page story this weekend. The publication cross examines the ‘high risk’ bill adopted by Wednesday’s cabinet meeting bringing under scrutiny all the controversial clauses – especially the legalization of eavesdropping up till now forbidden.

The police will from henceforth enjoy extensive powers in internet espionage with the ability to raid the homes of terrorism suspects without prior judicial clearance.

A point of concern raised by Le Monde – the Council of Europe has expressed grave concern at the violation of civil liberties under the pretext of antiterrorism.

For Le Monde the underlying risk about the legislation is that the government could be tempted to exploit the work of state secret services for political gain.

The Internet companies will be watching this law very closely according to Libération.

‘Socialists weary of new electoral debacle’. That’s Le Figaro’s top story this Saturday as France heads into local elections, this Sunday with the political momentum firmly behind the National Front and its anti-immigration, anti-EU policies.

The right-wing paper publishes the very latest surveys predicting a neck and neck race between Marine Le Pen’s National Front party and the main conservative UMP opposition.

IFOP and OpinionWay both forecast a 29 to 30 percent score for the FN and 27 to 30 percent for Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP and their Centrist allies.

Conservative Le Figaro is obviously in ecstasy as it predicts more gloom, doom and anguish for the Socialists and their left-leaning allies.

They are projected to score between 18 and 22 percent, with most of the left-leaning candidates facing first-round elimination, according to Le Figaro due to internecine fighting which left them filing rival candidates in key constituencies.

Here is some advice for citizens from Le Figaro. “Take time off at the close of polls Sunday night to look at the new map of France”.

With the abstention rate hovering around 60 percent, Libération went hunting for the lost, angry and disillusioned voters who used to vote for the left.

“I voted for Hollande in 2012 but I will side with the conservatives” said a food truck manager who now brands the Socialists party a renunciation movement.

Another maintenance worker says he will vote for the National Front out of anger while a third hints that he won’t vote because there is no hope.

Libé notes that three years after his election, President Francois Hollande who is facing humiliation in his Corrèze home constituency, isn’t nursing any illusions whatsoever and is resigned to suffer another devastating electoral defeat come Sunday’s departmental elections.

A massive 86 percent of French voters voice deep disappointment about the election campaign.

This is according to a new Odoxa survey for Le Parisien Aujourd’hui en France. The paper says that 90 percent claiming that vote canvassing operations by all the parties were well below their expectations – further indication of the extent of the abstention rate to be expected, according to Le Parisien.

With draws of the Champions League quarter finals in, l’Equipe examines the prospects of France’s two flag bearers still in contention.

Paris Saint Germain have a “difficult but not impossible duel” with their “Catalan enemy” Barcelona while according to the paper it will be the “Old Lady” Juventus of Italy for Monaco.