Hugh Schofield

She was in a state of emotional turmoil, she said, so she'd written down her few words. She thanked her family and her lawyers and all those who'd helped her to bear with the last three months of strain.

She was in a state of emotional turmoil, she said, so she'd written down her few words. She thanked her family and her lawyers and all those who'd helped her to bear with the last three months of strain.

Surrounded by a crush of supporters and journalists, Giselle Pellico was escorted by police down the front steps of the courthouse. Thank you, Giselle, they shouted from the crowd. Then she was driven away for the last time, her ordeal over an unwitting icon.

Surrounded by a crush of supporters and journalists, Giselle Pellico was escorted by police down the front steps of the courthouse. Thank you, Giselle, they shouted from the crowd. Then she was driven away for the last time, her ordeal over an unwitting icon.

France's new prime minister, François Bayrou, is a familiar face. At 73, he's represented a centrist strand in politics for four decades, serving as education minister in the 1990s and running unsuccessfully three times for the presidency. In some ways, he was a precursor of Emmanuel Macron, with the same notion of transcending the old left-right divide.

France's new prime minister, François Bayrou, is a familiar face. At 73, he's represented a centrist strand in politics for four decades, serving as education minister in the 1990s and running unsuccessfully three times for the presidency. In some ways, he was a precursor of Emmanuel Macron, with the same notion of transcending the old left-right divide.

And with his small modem party, he's been a natural ally since the president took office. Today, though, his task looks more than daunting, a fact which he acknowledged in a short address as he took office. He was, he said, fully aware of the Himalayan scale of the challenge ahead, the debt, the deficit, the risk of society falling apart.

And with his small modem party, he's been a natural ally since the president took office. Today, though, his task looks more than daunting, a fact which he acknowledged in a short address as he took office. He was, he said, fully aware of the Himalayan scale of the challenge ahead, the debt, the deficit, the risk of society falling apart.

But it was still worth trying to find a path ahead, a path, he said, that could only come through national reconciliation. It is indeed a divided and disillusioned country that Mr Beirut inherits, a parliament that's incapable of providing a firm government and a people more and more inclined to switch off and blank the political mess entirely.

But it was still worth trying to find a path ahead, a path, he said, that could only come through national reconciliation. It is indeed a divided and disillusioned country that Mr Beirut inherits, a parliament that's incapable of providing a firm government and a people more and more inclined to switch off and blank the political mess entirely.

His first task is to put together a government, which won't be simple, and then, just three weeks before year's end, try to get a budget together for 2025. The last one, now in the bin, was what brought down his predecessor.

His first task is to put together a government, which won't be simple, and then, just three weeks before year's end, try to get a budget together for 2025. The last one, now in the bin, was what brought down his predecessor.

Mr. Bayer is a very, very familiar person on the French political scene and has been for 40 years. He's a bit of a kind of never was a I mean, he always is a man close to power, but never quite getting it. But he's there and he represents a strand in French politics, which is a consistent going back to the postwar era, Christian Democrat tradition, different from the Gaullists tradition.

Mr. Bayer is a very, very familiar person on the French political scene and has been for 40 years. He's a bit of a kind of never was a I mean, he always is a man close to power, but never quite getting it. But he's there and he represents a strand in French politics, which is a consistent going back to the postwar era, Christian Democrat tradition, different from the Gaullists tradition.

who obviously stem from Charles de Gaulle, but close to them and allied to them. He first became a minister in 1993, education minister, hasn't been a minister since, except very briefly under Macron at the very beginning of Macron's term. He's run for presidency three times himself, but above all, he is now an ally of President Macron. And, you know, his latest sort of...

who obviously stem from Charles de Gaulle, but close to them and allied to them. He first became a minister in 1993, education minister, hasn't been a minister since, except very briefly under Macron at the very beginning of Macron's term. He's run for presidency three times himself, but above all, he is now an ally of President Macron. And, you know, his latest sort of...

identification has been as someone very much in the Macron camp, lending his small party, 35 MPs, support to President Macron throughout Macron's career. So very close to Macron now, but a man with his own temperament, his own ideas, a lot of experience, and willing now, particularly given Macron's weakness, I think, to push his own line. A bit of a power struggle now with Macron.

identification has been as someone very much in the Macron camp, lending his small party, 35 MPs, support to President Macron throughout Macron's career. So very close to Macron now, but a man with his own temperament, his own ideas, a lot of experience, and willing now, particularly given Macron's weakness, I think, to push his own line. A bit of a power struggle now with Macron.

Well, this is obviously the question that everyone's going to be asking. The beginnings are OK. You know, the reactions from just about everyone have been, well, let's give them some time. But that was also the reaction with Michel Barnier, let us not forget. No one except for the far left, the hard left, France and that bad party is saying outright, we want to bring this man down.

Well, this is obviously the question that everyone's going to be asking. The beginnings are OK. You know, the reactions from just about everyone have been, well, let's give them some time. But that was also the reaction with Michel Barnier, let us not forget. No one except for the far left, the hard left, France and that bad party is saying outright, we want to bring this man down.