The search operations at the site of the avalanche in the southeast of France have been completed and there have been no victims, the French Police said Tuesday.
No Victims Reported in Rescue Operations at Avalanche Site in France
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703071051341379-victims-avalanche-france/
Earlier in the day, media reports emerged claiming that an avalanche struck Tignes in southeastern France, with fears of skiers trapped.
"Search operations are completed. No victims. Thanks to all the services that took part in the search," the Gendarmerie said on its Twitter.
According to the local media, the avalanche occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time (08:30 GMT).
A total of 58 percent of French respondents believe the far-right National Front (FN) party poses a threat to democracy, a recent poll by the Kantar Sofres company showed on Tuesday.
Majority of French Believe National Front Party Threat to Democracy - Poll
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703071051333102-france-national-front-democracy/
According to the survey conducted for Le Monde newspaper and the FranceInfo broadcaster, the number of people, who regard FN as a threat increased by 2 percent from 2016 and by 11 percent from 2012.
The pollster added that the figures were still lower than the ones during 1980-2002 when about 70 percent of French nationals were concerned over the FN's potential impact on democracy.
The poll was conducted on February 23-27 among 1,006 respondents.
In February, a complaint against French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron was filed to the High Authority for transparency in public life, a French anti-corruption body.
Macron's Opponents Call for Public Investigation Into His Undeclared Assets
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703071051331894-macron-france-election/
Last year, the French satirical weekly Canard Enchaîné reported that Macron, a former investment banker and Minister of Economy, owned undeclared assets.
The complaint aimed to check the transparency of Macron’s financial affairs was initiated by presidential candidate Paul Mumbach, the leader of the Franche-Comté movement Jean-Philippe Allenbach and Serge Grass, chair of the Union of Taxpaying Civilians.
The members of the political committee of France's center-right The Republicans party unanimously expressed support of Francois Fillon.
Leading French Republicans Reaffirm Support of Fillon as Presidential Candidate
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703061051321892-french-republicans-support-fillon/
The members of the political committee of France's center-right The Republicans party on Monday unanimously expressed support of their candidate, former prime minister Francois Fillon, in the upcoming presidential elections.
"Francois Fillon has confirmed his plans to run for president, and the political committee, after a broad exchange of opinions, unanimously reaffirmed its support of his candidacy," Chairman of the French Senate Gerard Larche said following the committee's meeting.
Fillon's participation in election was questioned due to the ongoing scandal involving his wife and children.
The financial prosecutors opened an inquiry into Fillon's wife case on January 25 after the satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine reported that she had been paid up to $8,500 per month when she worked as her husband’s assistant between 1998 and 2012 and received a $5,400 gross monthly salary at the magazine, owned by Fillon's friend. According to the magazine, Charles and Marie Fillon, who worked as their father’s assistants between 2005 and 2007, had earned about $90,700, though it was unclear whether they had really exercised their job responsibilities.
The Republicans' candidate has repeatedly denied all accusations and said he would not withdraw his candidacy. The scandal, though, had a significant impact of Fillon's public support and led to demands on his withdrawal from the presidential race.
The first round of the French presidential elections is scheduled for April 23, with the run-off set for May 7.
French Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen poses a "threat" to France and the European Union, as her victory would immediately lead to a "process of exit" for the country from the eurozone and the EU, outgoing President Francois Hollande has cautioned - although a French politics expert has told Sputnik his warning may well be mere posturing.
Hollande's Le Pen Warning May Be Disguised Post-Presidency EU Job Application
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703061051310202-hollande-le-pen-warning/
In an interview with local media, Hollande suggested that if the far-right Le Pen won the April 23 election, it would push France out of the bloc, and threaten its continued survival.
It is the aim of all populists to leave Europe, to close off from the world and imagine a future surrounded by barriers of all kinds and borders defended by look-out posts. My last duty is to do everything possible so that France is not convinced by such a project. The threat exists because the extreme right hasn't done so well for more than 30 years — but France won't give in," Hollande said.
The outgoing president chose not to contest the election due to low approval ratings.
Despite her campaign being rocked by several scandals, polls show Le Pen has widened her lead over centrist contender Emmanuel Macron. There are even suggestions the EU's decision to revoke Marine Le Pen's parliamentary immunity, so France can charge her with disseminating violent images, could add to her popularity.
Her rising ratings are also attributable to the collapse of Republican candidate Francois Fillon's campaign. Fillon began hemorrhaging public support over a fake job scandal that broke out in late January — his wife is alleged to have been paid from state funds for jobs without actually fulfilling any duties. Surveys indicate over two-thirds of French voters want Fillon to withdraw from the race as a result.
Despite polls indicating former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe, who lost to Fillon in the second round of the Republican primaries in November 2016, would come ahead of Le Pen and Macron if the party adopted him instead, Fillon has vowed to continue.
Nonetheless, former President Nicolas Sarkozy has suggested Monday, March 6, the two should meet to discuss the possible solution to the crisis
"Faced with the gravity of the situation, everyone should do whatever it takes to preserve unity, which is a condition for changeover. Our division will give rise to the extreme right. It is in this spirit I propose Fillon and Juppe meet to find a decent and credible way out of the situation that cannot last anymore," Sarkozy said in a statement.
However, Hollande's comments have provoked condemnation in some quarters.
On Twitter, Russian senator Alexei Pushkov asked why Hollande viewed the prospect of Le Pen gaining power via democratic means posed a threat.
"Won't her victory as a legitimate candidate be a manifestation of the will of the people?" Pushkov asked.
Moreover, Gino Raymond, Professor of Modern French Studies at the University of Bristol, says the "threat" of a Le Pen victory is overblown.
"Le Pen will win the first round, but that's due to the way France's electoral system operates. However, most people agree in the second round 'republican discipline' will assert itself, and democratic sentiment in France will lead the majority of French voters to vote for the anti-Le Pen candidate," Professor Raymond told Sputnik.
Such an eventuality is not without precedent, he notes. Le Pen's father made it to the final round of the presidential election in 2002, which produced a "massive landslide" in favor of Jacques Chirac. What then accounts for Hollande's apparent anxiety? Professor Raymond suggests he be concerned with trying to scrape a positive legacy.
"Hollande will go down as the anonymous President. He campaigned as 'Mr. Normal', but ultimately failed to distinguish himself and failed his key pledge to bring down unemployment. He's attempting to rally the divided, fractured Socialist party in France — after the presidential election, there are legislative elections. His warning is a way of restoring a rather tarnished image of his presidency. He could even be positioning himself for a role in Brussels after his resignation, hence his positioning of himself as the defender of Europe," Professor Raymond added.
