French Press Review 11 December 2017

Splashed across the French front pages today are the Corsican nationalists' victory in local elections and the election of Laurent Wauquiez as head of conservative party Les Républicains.

It will come as no surprise that Johnny Halliday is still gracing the covers of French papers today. However he does not hold such a prominent position on the front pages so we'll try and spare you yet more accounts of how his life was celebrated in Paris at the weekend or how his body has now landed in the West Indies where he will finally be laid to rest.

Left leaning Liberation is leading with Corsican Nationalist party Pè's landslide victory in yesterday's regional election, which the paper says has fuelled their desire to challenge central authorities in Paris. In the space of two years, they have gained further support from voters in the Mediterranean island.They now believe their voices can no longer be ignored and that they can pursue their autonomous ambitions.

The paper writes that by downplaying (for now) their desire for independence they were able to secure popular support. Language recognition, prisoner amnesty, home purchasing powers for the islanders are some of the hot topics they wish to discuss. Libé says that Paris is still playing deaf to Corsican calls for change in the constitution but they will not be able to do so for long.

Conservative daily Le Figaro has meanwhile decided to lead with the election of Laurent Wauquiez as head of France's conservative Party Les Republicains. He's hailed as the return or come-back of the right and as " a man in a hurry" and the paper says he will face number of challenges in rebuilding the fragile political party.

La Croix is headlining "The Strong Man of the weak right". While according to Le Monde " Les Republicains have elected, without illusion, the future head of the opposition" and feature an article which looks at how supporters of the party are still licking their wounds following last May's presidential elections which saw the Party's candidate knocked out after the first round.

"Where is the Right heading?" asks Le Parisien before adding that Laurent Wauquiez will have to unite his political family. A task it describes as quite a challenge.

Communist L'Humanité is leading with an article which looks at how a number of charities in France are opposing the census on migrants being housed in emergency accommodation for homeless people this winter. The government was planning to send mobile teams around to estimate numbers but some of France's major associations such Emmaus and Medecins Du Monde left the discussion table. They believe this goes against their ethics to unconditionally welcome anyone in need.

However the government says its aim is to ensure priority is given French homeless people first, in a bid to comply with a pledge made by French President Emmanuel Macron to not have anyone living rough in the streets by the end of the year.

The charities fear this would in fact be a means to get hold of, and expel people who are illegally residing in France.

As one charity tells centrist paper Le Monde, "we must in no ways be associated with such police activity".