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French press review 27 April 2012

The presidential election campaign continues to dominate the news as Socialist front-runner François Hollande and incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy canvass for swing votes ahead of the 6 May run-off.

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The police have stolen a march on the vote-hunt after scores of cops from the sensitive Saint Denis area staged a high-profile demo on Paris's Champs-Elysées to protest the indictment of a colleague who shot dead an armed robber.

The free newspaper Métro, argues that the muscle flexing by the police was to protest at what they see as the systematic disregard of their profession by the judiciary.

Le Parisien stresses that the so-called “grand malaise” in the police force over the shooting in the suburban neighbourhood of Noisy-le-Sec has taken on a political dimension.

Le Figaro declares “Sarkozy pledges to reinforce the rights of the police”.

The conservative paper, which has championed Sarkozy’s swing to the far right, voices strong backing to the president’s realignment, with the position upheld by the Front National.

Libération meanwhile wonders if François Hollande has suddenly become the darling of of Brussels. The left-leaning newspaper notes with some delight that France’s European partners are buying his ideas on economic growth, although there are ideological differences in their recipes.

“Beating Sarkozy remains the top priority”, insists L’Humanité with a grunt. The Communist Party is still gnashing its teeth after the candidate it backed, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, failed to come third in last Sunday’s first-round presidential vote.

Le Monde brings out one issue that has been grossly ignored during the presidential campaign.

That’s the worrying problem of the so-called “medical deserts”, the shortage of doctors in rural France.

Le Monde is urging the candidates not to shy away from their responsibilities. According to the newspaper, the difficulties of accessing treatment have compounded the impression of neglect felt by countryside folk and that has made them more vulnerable to the preaching of the Front National.

La Croix worries about the rising cost of tuition fees in French universities. The Catholic daily warns that the American system which forced students to incur debts amounting to over 100 billion dollars in 2010 is steadily spreading to Europe. Some specialised schools in France demand up to 25,000 euros in school fees says the paper and that is pushing many families into excessive debt.

Libération profiles ex-Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, found guilty of war crimes by the UN tribunal for Sierra Leone.

“Charles Taylor, cruelty in the genes," is the headline of that report which recalls the bloodletting during Taylor’s alliance with Sierra Leone’s RUF rebel leader Fodé Sanko in the 1990s which claimed 400,000 lives.

The paper recalls especially the question Taylor's child soldiers often asked their victims before amputating their limbs. "What do you want, short sleeves or long sleeves?"

Libération remembers a statement made by a former president of Sierra Leone’s amputees' association when he testified before the UN tribunal. “We felt the bitterness of war; Taylor must feel the bitterness of the law”.

The free newspaper 20 Minutes rolls it out for French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier as he celebrates his 60th birthday. The “grand couturier” remains the “enfant terrible” of fashion, notes the free daily. According to the paper, Gaultier is preparing to slide into a sleek new suit - that of jury member for the Cannes Film Festival opening on the French Riviera in 15 days time.

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