Emma-Kate Symons
01 April 2025
How Le Pen wrote the rules of her own downfall
The far right leader demanded French courts get tough on corrupt politicians. Now she is paying the price
Read the full article28 March 2025
The ‘hellish nightmare’ of the Depardieu trial
While a cinema legend faces sexual assault claims, his Kremlin-defending lawyer denigrates witnesses – and compares his client’s treatment to the French revolution terror
Read the full article22 January 2025
The EU vs Elon Musk
It’s time for Brussels to clamp down on Musk and the disinformation pumped out by Twitter. But are they up to the job?
Read the full article07 January 2025
Jean-Marie Le Pen: the death of a hate-monger
With his conspiracy theories, pro-Russian propaganda and hatred of migrants, Le Pen inspired a generation of far right leaders across Europe
Read the full article07 January 2025
The Charlie Hebdo attack – ten years on
When the staff of the French satirical newspaper were murdered by extremists, France was united in defiance and grief – but the consensus soon began to fall apart
Read the full article05 December 2024
Le Pen and Mélenchon’s Lewis Carroll politics
Barnier’s budget was relatively mild - but Tweedledee and Tweedledum said he had to go
Read the full article29 September 2024
French society goes on trial
A shocking case of mass rape has stunned France and started the MeToo movement’s second wave
Read the full article24 July 2024
A fight to preserve the essence of Paris
Thanks to affluent tourists, the city’s heart and soul is being auctioned off
Read the full article13 July 2024
How Putin lost the French election
Le Pen’s party is packed with Russia supporters – no wonder the Kremlin’s disinformation machine supported her
Read the full article01 July 2024
French elections: Le Pen’s march on power
Marine Le Pen’s clear win underscores her party’s achievement of making a duplicitous surface-level transformation to voters
Read the full article26 June 2024
A bloc to block France’s extremists
As Marine Le Pen’s extreme right party creeps ever further ahead of its rivals, a new democratic collective has emerged
Read the full article19 June 2024
France’s week of political psychosis
Macron’s snap election call has triggered turmoil across the country as parties rush to form alliances in time for June 30
Read the full article23 February 2024
The avenger: French cinema’s Weinstein moment
French actor Judith Godrèche’s allegations of rape and abuse by star directors have opened up a second wave of #MeToo in France
Read the full article20 September 2023
France’s big uncover-up
Critics call it Islamophobic – but Emmanuel Macron’s ban on the abaya, the long Islamic dress, in schools has won surprising support
Read the full article