
Jan 2012
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French Debt Costs Rise at Bond Sale as AAA Decision Looms
France Downgraded by S&P, Others Likely to Follow: Reports : Report - Business News
Sarkozy Dealt Blow 100 Days Before Election With French Loss of AAA Rating
After the downgrades comes the downward spiral
Enjoy full access to FT.com's award-winning news, comment and analysis.DEVELOPMENT: France Steps Forward With Robin Hood Tax
Merkel Meets Sarkozy to Draft EU Fiscal Rules as Part of Euro-Rescue Plan
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy plan to drive forward their agenda for stricter budget rules as they seek to craft a master plan for rescuing the euro over the next three months.Germany's stance on financial transaction tax risks French rift
However, a draft copy of the summit agreement leaked last week suggested the talks had hardly progressed since the last summit.France makes it harder to become French - FRANCE
Foreigners seeking French nationality face tougher requirements as of January 1, when new rules drawn up by Interior Minister Claude Guéant come into force. Candidates will be tested on French culture and history, and will have to prove their French language skills are equivalent to those of a 15-year-old mother tongue speaker. They will also be required to sign a new charter establishing their rights and responsibilities.“Napoleonland”, the brainchild of former French minister and history buff Yves Jégo, is being touted as a rival to Disneyland – assuming, that is, it can gather the £180 million needed to leave the drawing board. The 1815 Battle of Waterloo, in which the Duke of Wellington ended Napoleon's rule in France, could be recreated on a daily basis with visitors perhaps even able be able to take part in the reenactments. “We are not going to take sides,” Mr Jégo said in a reference to widely differing accounts of Napoleon’s legacy in Britain and France ranging from brutal dictator to heroic visionary.

