France

With one week to go until the runoff round in the French presidential elections, Marine Le Pen - materially lagging her rival Macron according to daily polls - on Saturday chose defeated first-round candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan as her prime minister, in a last-minute attempt to court his voters and help her defeat her opponent.

"As President of the Republic I will name Nicolas Dupont-Aignan Prime Minister, supported by a presidential majority and united by the national interest," she told a news conference in Paris at which the two politicians sat together.

Marine Le Pen Update

Paul Craig Roberts

That Marine Le Pen has gained sufficient electoral support to have pushed aside the two traditional French political parties and is one of two candidates for President of France on May 7 has Washington, the EU, and the French elite determined that she be defeated at all costs.

Authored by Pater Tenebrarum via Acting-Man.com,

Slightly Premature Victory Laps

Only Marine Le Pen Represents France

Paul Craig Roberts

Marine Le Pen is the only candidate for the French presidency who represents France. All the rest represent Washington and the EU. Why are the French people so slow to see the obvious facts? France died with Charles de Gaulle. He was the last French president.

Authored by Raul Ilargi Meijer via The Automatic Earth blog,

Something hit me this week. The maps which came out on Monday and detailed the outcome of the French elections, were telling a story, and a familiar one by now. A story of deep division. There are a number of such maps now depicting the Brexit vote in the UK, the US presidential elections, and its French counterpart.