Former far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen on Monday launched her bid to win election to France’s National Assembly next month from the northern French town of Hénin-Beaumont. She played down a challenge from hard-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon,

When the votes were counted after the French presidential election’s first round all of Europe was shocked.

Riot police were called to contain a potentially volatile situation between ultra-nationalists demonstrators and spectators of Miss Black France.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday complained that he was the victim of a “Stalinist trial” amid criticism of an alleged rightward turn in his campaign to be reelected.