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French press review 24 March 2017

Mixed reactions as French Presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron lands key endorsement by "Socialist heavyweight" Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian.

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The papers lead with the latest about Wednesday's terrorist attack in London in which 4 people were killed and dozens injured.

This, as details emerged about the terrorist's ties with the Islamic state armed group, which for the first time has claimed responsibility for an attack on British soil.

In an editorial, Le Monde claims that the tragedy at Westminster, (one of London's most guarded areas), confirms two facts -- first that no security system is totally impenetrable, and secondly that the Western World will live with Jihadism for yet another while.

According to Le Monde, the authorities in the world's oldest democracy understand this, which is why they opted to leave the doors of the House of Commons open, as they resumed business on Thursday.

"Whenever the risk of terrorism has become an issue of discussion in Europe, it was always France that paid the price for her wars against radical Islam in the Sahel and the Levant, observes Le Figaro. For the right-wing publication, the fact that France is no longer the isolated target of terrorist threats is definitely not a reason to celebrate, but to close ranks with its European neighbours.

La Presse de la Manche has  words of consolation for the British.

"The life of a people or a country", it argues, "has never been a slow running river". What matters the most, it explains, is to understand how to preserve with energy and zeal the values of democracy notwithstanding the perils at home and from abroad.

Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace commends the people of London for sticking with its habits and heeding calls for calm and refusing to panic despite the intense emotions whipped up by the attack.

According to the regional daily, London Mayor Sadiq Khan who is a lawyer and son of Pakistani immigrants possesses all the authority to denounce any so-called "political and religious superstitions" about the attack by the most frustrated of his compatriots.

And La Nouvelle République du Centre Ouest has some advice for the British people as they go through such trying moments. "If you become so unfortunate to get hit again", it says, "stick together and avoid the experience witnessed in France.

There are mixed reactions to the endorsement of Emmanuel Macron's Presidential bid by the popular Socialist Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Le Figaro was quick to dismiss Macron's enlisting of Le Drian as confirmation that the young On The Move party leader is definitely the candidate of President Hollande's government.

The regional daily L'Union disagrees arguing that at a time when it is everyone for himsel in the Socialist party, it was pure pragmatism that Jean-Yves Le Drian opted to support the 39 year-old Macron who is riding high in the polls.

For, La Voix du Nord, Jean-Yves Le Drian widely praised for France's successful military operations in Mali, the Central African Republic and south of the Sahel is the "perfect catch" for the "inexperienced" Macron.

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