French press review 2 November 2016

French papers grumble as Clinton's e-mail saga revives Donald Trump's White House prospects. Fears that US campaign spin and deceit will contaminate French drive to 2017 presidential elections.

US Elections

The US Presidential election is everyone's top story and it emerged that Donald Trump's far-fetched White House bid could happen after all.

This is after the latest ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll showed him leading Hillary Clinton by 46 to 45 percent.

Le Parisien says the poll has not just thrown the process back in the air, but sent Trump dreaming of of an upset which the markets are shivering about.

"Never since the Cold War have observers been so worried about the outcome of an American Presidential election, comments Libération."

The paper says it is all the more surprising as Democrat Hillary Clinton's victory appeared to be a foregone conclusion until the incredible revelations that the FBI is again investigating whether she put US secrets at risk by using a private email server during her tenure as US Secretary of State.

Clinton e-mails

For L'Est Républicain even after Halloween, America continues to frighten itself with Republicans pinching their noses so as not to smell the stench from voting for Trump.

La Charente Libre refuses to be lured away by the polls claiming that  there is nothing to the surveys and the stench rising from the rot that guarantees that Trump will end up in the White House, even if there is course for concern American democracy is in real peril.

Schizophrenia

A sexist populist demagogue to the right and to the left a “secretive political calculator ready to do anything to become President”. “What a sad face America is presenting to the world”, exclaims L'Alsace.

For le Républicain lorrain, it is past time for the whole farce to be brought to an end

This is especially true for Clinton and the revelations about her real character and her scheming which have further tarnished the virtuous aura she tried to show case in front of the “diabolic ogre Trump”.

French Presidential Elections

Le Midi Libre expresses the hope that the ranting about sex, falsehoods e-mails, fiscal evasion and schizophrenia, which inspired Donald Trump's miraculous comeback, will not contaminate presidential primaries here in France and dissuade voters from going to the polls.

Hollande and Sarkozy

According to La République des Pyrénées, pollution has already taken place. It points to incumbent Francois Hollande, who is allegedly watching the polls to see if and when he can launch a re-election bid and ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy “struggling in a pathetic manner to avenge his 2012 defeat in a re-match”.

For Le Figaro, it is journey's end for President Hollande. The right-wing publication says that when he finally leaves the Elysée, instead of talking to journalists, he should pick up his pen and explain to the French people why he failed so woefully in honouring the obligations of his office.

For Le Journal de la Haute-Marne, notwithstanding their hatred of each other and desperation to settle scores, the prospects of another duel are very slim.

Sarkozy, it argues, trails Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppé by 6 points while Francois Hollande is "no maker of miracles". His sole weapon, according to the publication is to issue distress signals about the imminent return to power of the so-called “wicket right” and to present himself as the saviour.

Sarkozy/Bayrou

L'Union/L'Ardennais consecrates today's editorial to what it describes as the strange obsession Sarkozy and Centrist leader François Bayrou have for each other.

According to the paper, Sarkozy's hatred of Bayrou is equal only to the ill feelings the latter has for the former President.

L'Union doesn't believe the break would have any damaging consequences on France apart from the fact that Sarkozy will blame Bayrou for his defeat if he is beaten by Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppé.