French Red Arrows to perform locally France's world-famous aerobatic display team, the Patrouille de France, will be performing in Limoges this summer >> Page 5 November 2016 - Issue #85
Limousin
Your local newspaper for life in France
May 2017 - Issue 91 - FREE!
Seismic shift in French politics With
the
mainstream
candidates
eliminated in the first round, France must now choose its next president
P
from two political outsiders. erhaps the biggest shock of the first round of voting in this year's presidential elections was the fact that the pollsters were spot on in almost all their predictions. Centrist Emmanuel Macron came out on top with 23.75% of the vote, slightly ahead of the National Front's Marine Le Pen with 21.53%. Pre-election polling accurately predicted both candidates' share of the vote to within 0.6%, and correctly placed the top five contenders in what was a very tight race. This was an impressive achievement given the wildly inaccurate polling in the run-up to the UK's last general election, the Brexit referendum and Trump's election. The surprise of the first round was arguably the
Brown bears are making a comeback in France - page 10
performance of left-wing firebrand, Jean-Luc Mélenchon who gained 19.5% of the vote. Republican François Fillon, who bounced back from “Penelopegate” but could still not overhaul Le Pen to make the second round, just pipped Mélenchon into third place, but together the two candidates attracted almost 40% of the vote. Where these voters now turn could decide who enters the Elysée Palace in May. Fillon has backed Macron, but Mélenchon has so far refused to back either candidate, raising the possibility that a section of anti-globalisation voters could find common cause with Marine Le Pen. Fillon is positioned to the right of his Les Républicains party and if Le Pen softens her message
INSIDE > > > Village sees first birth in 50 years - pg 4
French tax declaration window opens - pg 12
New €50 note enters circulation - pg 13
The Bugle Business Directory - pg 15-23
>> continued on page 6
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