In an EU election year, the current polutics of France is always an important factor in predicting the futre makeup of the European Parliament. Not only is France one of the largest countries, so with one of the largest delegations of MEPs (meaning its politicians quite often can dominate, or at least strongly influence, the two big political groups, the PES on the left and EPP on the right) but it also has always has a special place in the EU’s makeup.

Yet these days, French politics is nearly as confusing to the outsider as Italy’s – presidential affairs, socialist splits, Sarkozy sort of retirements, popular movements on the far-left and far right,  etc etc etc.

And all that’s not to mention the flaky French economy and apparently rising discontent at the state of the world among the population at large. Anti-EU feeling in France has boomed over the last few years.

As such, this overview of the current political of affairs in France, with a particular focus on the Front National, is very welcome indeed.