French and Riviera News Friday 15th April 2022

News

Latest poll ahead of Presidential elections - According to a BVA poll for RTL and Orange published today Friday 15th April, outgoing President Emmanuel Macron would win in the second round of the presidential election against Marine Le Pen, with a score of 54% against 46% for the National Rally candidate. Published nine days ahead of the second round the poll also showed that the "average participation" envisaged would be 73%, a level very close to that of the 1st round (73.7%).

Former Presidents call for vote in favour of Macron - Meanwhile former President François Hollande has called on the French to vote for Emmanuel Macron in the second round. Speaking on Thursday evening during TF1’s “20 hours” the former head of state said "in an election of this importance, the main thing is France. This is why I call on the French, given what is at stake, to vote Emmanuel Macron". He went on to say that “if Marine Le Pen arrived at the Elysée, there would be three fundamental challenges: our values and membership of the European Union”. Hollande is not the only one to have encourage people to vote for Macron. On Tuesday, former head of state Nicolas Sarkozy gave his support to the En Marche candidate.

Students block university buildings - And several hundred students have blocked university buildings in Paris in a bid to bring ecological and social issues to the attention of presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen in the lead up to the runoff on 24 April. Students denounce a "fake choice" between Macron and Le Pen.

Menton Hospital given a “gold” label - Menton Hospital has been awarded a "Gold" label for its daily actions in favour of the environment. Few hospitals in France have obtained the "gold" label which is awarded to those “committed to a sustainable development approach”. La Palmosa hospital showed a very “high health, social and environmental quality” with a “93% success score” which it intends to continue.

Lollipop ladies and men needed - The city hall of Saint-Laurent-du-Var in the Alpes Maritimes is looking for lollipop ladies and men to ensure the safety of families and schoolchildren. Known in France as « mamie and papy trafic » it can be the ideal job for those retired who wish to remain active. Candidates must be available four times a day for 45 minutes. For more information you can call 04.92.12.42.75.

Cannes Film Festival - The official selection for this year's 75th Cannes Film Festival has been unveiled. Eighteen films are in competition for the Palme d'Or. More than 2,000 films were put forward for inclusion in this year's programme. A successor for Spike Lee as president of the jury is due to be announced in the coming days. 35,000 people have accreditation for the festival. After being moved about by the pandemic these past two years, the Cannes Film Festival is finally headed back to its regular May slot. It'll run from the 17th to the 28th. 

Busy on the roads for Easter weekend - Vinci Autoroutes is forecasting very heavy traffic on the A8 this weekend. Congestion is likely in both directions from mid-afternoon on Friday. Saturday and Sunday mornings are also expected to be much busier than usual. Heavy traffic is also forecast for Monday afternoon and evening in both directions towards Nice, as holidaymakers head home from the long weekend.

Trains - There are no TGV high-speed trains running between Nice, Toulon and Paris this weekend - and next - due to engineering work. TGVs heading to the Côte d’Azur from Paris will terminate in Marseille. A replacement bus will take passengers to Aubagne, where you'll need to continue your journey along the coast by TER local train. The line is due to reopen at 8am on Monday

Nice’s iconic blue seaside chairs - And some of Nice's iconic blue seaside chairs on the Promenade des Anglais have been repainted red and black - the colours of OGC Nice - ahead of the team's appearance in the Coupe de France final against Nantes on 7th May. The "#ILOVENICE" sculpture overlooking the Baie des Anges has also been decked out in the colours of the local football side. Tickets for the match at the Stade de France went on sale to the general public this week.

Business

Twitter - What next for Twitter after Elon Musk’s surprise offer yesterday to pay $54.20 a share which puts the company at a value of $40bn. Twitter's share price rose jumped by 5.3% to $48.32 in early tradin