Former President of France Francois Hollande on Wednesday spoke to his successor Emmanuel Macron and asked him how he was doing, given the delicate situation in the country.

France is battling not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a sharp rise in Islamic extremism. Last month, a French teacher was beheaded in daylight for showing caricatures of Prophet Muhammad in his class about freedom of expression.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/france-considers-appointing-envoy-for-explaining-macrons-approach-to-muslim-nations-340495" hreflang="en">France considers appointing envoy for explaining Macron's approach to Muslim nations</a>

"How are you doing? Is it not too hard right now?" Hollande asked Macron. They met during a tribute to the soldiers who were killed during World War One at the Arc de Triomphe on the Paris Champs Elysees.

Macron responded with the following: “Yes. Thank you for being here. We have to talk about it."

Hollande himself has seen Islamist terror attacks. In 2015, Paris was attacked, and a year later the city of Nice was attacked. Hollande had faced low ratings in 2016, due to which he decided not to seek re-election.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/the-global-backlash-against-french-president-emmanuel-macron-339936" hreflang="en">The global backlash against French President Emmanuel Macron</a>

Macron and Hollande have not always shared a very good relationship. Macron was his former economy minister, who then quit the Socialist government to run for president.

Hollande had written a book called Lessons of Power, in which he recorded five years in office. He had warned Macron of the following: “Don't forget French royals lost their heads at the guillotine".

As the backlash against French President Emmanuel Macron continues to mount, France is considering appointing a special envoy to quell Muslim nations' anger directed towards Macron.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/i-hear-your-anger-but-wont-accept-violence-macron-to-the-muslim-community-339320" hreflang="en">'I hear your anger, but won't accept violence': Macron to the Muslim community</a>

The French president has already given a long interview to Al Jazeera Arabic describing them his approach post the beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty and other terror attacks.

There has been a rising number of radical attacks in France following the killing of Paty for showing Prophet Muhammad's cartoons.

Several Islamic countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have protested against Macron's comments where he criticised extremism and defended France's freedom of expression and secularism.&nbsp;

Former President of France Francois Hollande on Wednesday spoke to his successor Emmanuel Macron and asked him how he was doing, given the delicate situation in the country.

Former President of France Francois Hollande on Wednesday spoke to his successor Emmanuel Macron and asked him how he was doing, given the delicate situation in the country. France is battling not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a sharp rise in Islamic extremism. Last month, a French teacher was beheaded in daylight for showing caricatures of Prophet Muhammad in his class about freedom of expression. Also read: France considers appointing envoy for explaining Macron's approach to Muslim nations "How are you doing? Is it not too hard right now?" Hollande asked Macron. They met during a tribute to the soldiers who were killed during World War One at the Arc de Triomphe on the Paris Champs Elysees. Macron responded with the following: “Yes. Thank you for being here. We have to talk about it." Hollande himself has seen Islamist terror attacks. In 2015, Paris was attacked, and a year later the city of Nice was attacked. Hollande had faced low ratings in 2016, due to which he decided not to seek re-election. Also read: The global backlash against French President Emmanuel Macron Macron and Hollande have not always shared a very good relationship. Macron was his former economy minister, who then quit the Socialist government to run for president. Hollande had written a book called Lessons of Power, in which he recorded five years in office. He had warned Macron of the following: “Don't forget French royals lost their heads at the guillotine". As the backlash against French President Emmanuel Macron continues to mount, France is considering appointing a special envoy to quell Muslim nations' anger directed towards Macron. Also read: 'I hear your anger, but won't accept violence': Macron to the Muslim community The French president has already given a long interview to Al Jazeera Arabic describing them his approach post the beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty and other terror attacks. There has been a rising number of radical attacks in France following the killing of Paty for showing Prophet Muhammad's cartoons. Several Islamic countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have protested against Macron's comments where he criticised extremism and defended France's freedom of expression and secularism.

'Is it not too hard right now?', former French President Hollande asks Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron met Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin near Paris on Monday, promising some frank talking with the Kremlin leader after an election campaign in which his team accused Russian media of trying to interfere.

Macron, in a press conference, standing right beside Putin, blasted Russia Today and Sputnik for carrying election&nbsp;&quot;propaganda&quot; during the recently held presidential elections, AFP Reported.

Here is the footage of the press conference, though the French president spoke in French.

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Macron calls RT and Sputnik purveyors of propaganda and lies while standing adjacent to Putin. <a href="https://t.co/7cKW09I1lv">https://t.co/7cKW09I1lv</a>
&mdash; Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) <a href="https://twitter.com/nktpnd/status/869228285812760576">May 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Macron, who took office two weeks ago, has said dialogue with Russia is vital in tackling a number of international disputes. Nevertheless, relations have been beset by mistrust, with Paris and Moscow backing opposing sides in the Syrian civil war and at odds over the Ukraine conflict.

The French president also raised the issue of chemical weapons in Syria.

He said that the use of chemical weapons will be treated as a red line and any violation will attract strong response&nbsp;from them.

&quot;Any use of chemical weapons would results in reprisals and an immediate riposte, at least where France is concerned,&quot; Macron said at a joint news conference with Putin in which he added that his aim was the fight against terrorism in the country.

Fresh from talks with his Western counterparts at a NATO meeting in Brussels and a G7 summit in Sicily, Macron was hosting the Russian president at the sumptuous 17th Century palace of Versailles outside Paris.

The 39-year-old French leader and Putin exchanged a cordial, businesslike handshake and smiles when the latter stepped from his limousine for a red carpet welcome, with Macron appearing to say &quot;welcome&quot; to him in French.

The two men then entered the palace to start their talks.

&quot;It&#39;s indispensable to talk to Russia because there are a number of international subjects that will not be resolved without a tough dialogue with them,&quot; Macron told reporters at the end of the G7 summit on Saturday, where the Western leaders agreed to consider new measures against Moscow if the situation in Ukraine did not improve.

&quot;I will be demanding in my exchanges with Russia,&quot; he added.

Relations between Paris and Moscow were increasingly strained under former President Francois Hollande.

Putin, 64, cancelled his last planned visit in October after Hollande accused Russia of war crimes in Syria and refused to roll out the red carpet for him.

Then during the French election campaign the Macron camp alleged Russian hacking and disinformation efforts, at one point refusing accreditation to the Russian state-funded Sputnik and RT news outlets which it said were spreading Russian propaganda and fake news.

Two days before the May 7 election runoff, Macron&#39;s team said thousands of hacked campaign emails had been put online in a leak that one New York-based analyst said could have come from a group tied to Russian military intelligence.

Moscow and RT itself rejected allegations of meddling in the election.

Putin also offered Macron&#39;s far-right opponent Marine Le Pen a publicity coup when he granted her an audience a month before the election&#39;s first round.

Nonetheless, Russia&#39;s ambassador to Paris, Alexander Orlov said on Monday that he expected this first meeting between the two men to be full of &quot;smiles&quot; and marking the beginning of &quot;a very good and long relationship&quot;.

Orlov, speaking on Europe 1 radio, said he believed that Macron was &quot;much more flexible&quot; on the Syrian question, though he did not say why he thought this. Putin would certainly invite Macron to pay a visit to Moscow, he said.

Putin&#39;s schedule included a trip to a newly opened Russian Orthodox cathedral in Paris - a call he had been due to make for its inauguration in October, but which was cancelled along with that trip.

Clever Move

Macron decisively beat Le Pen, an open Putin admirer in a fraught presidential election campaign, and afterwards the Russian president said in a congratulatory message that he wanted to put mistrust aside and work with him.

Hollande&#39;s former diplomatic adviser, Jacques Audibert, noted how Putin had been excluded from what used to be the Group of Eight nations as relations with the West soured. Meeting in a palace so soon after the G7 summit was a clever move by Macron.

&quot;Putin likes these big symbolic things. I think it&#39;s an excellent political opportunity, the choice of place is perfect,&quot; he told CNews TV. &quot;It adds a bit of grandeur to welcome Putin to Versailles.&quot;

The Versailles exhibition commemorates a visit to France 300 years ago by Peter the Great, known for his European tastes.

A Russian official told reporters in Moscow on Friday that the meeting was an opportunity &quot;to get a better feel for each other&quot; and that the Kremlin expected &quot;a frank conversation&quot; on Syria.

While Moscow backs President Bashar al-Assad, France supports rebel groups trying to overthrow him. France has also taken a tough line on European Union sanctions on Russia, first imposed when it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and cancelled a $1.3 billion warship supply contract in 2015.

During the campaign, Macron backed expanded sanctions if there were no progress with Moscow implementing a peace accord for eastern Ukraine, where Kiev&#39;s forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists.

Since being elected, Macron appears to have toned down the rhetoric, although he noted the two leaders still had &quot;diverging positions&quot; in their first phone call.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Macron was hosting Putin at the palace of Versailles to reset relations with Russia, already beset by mistrust

French President Emmanuel Macron met Russia's Vladimir Putin near Paris on Monday, promising some frank talking with the Kremlin leader after an election campaign in which his team accused Russian media of trying to interfere. Macron, in a press conference, standing right beside Putin, blasted Russia Today and Sputnik for carrying election "propaganda" during the recently held presidential elections, AFP Reported. Here is the footage of the press conference, though the French president spoke in French. Macron calls RT and Sputnik purveyors of propaganda and lies while standing adjacent to Putin. https://t.co/7cKW09I1lv — Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) May 29, 2017 × Macron, who took office two weeks ago, has said dialogue with Russia is vital in tackling a number of international disputes. Nevertheless, relations have been beset by mistrust, with Paris and Moscow backing opposing sides in the Syrian civil war and at odds over the Ukraine conflict. The French president also raised the issue of chemical weapons in Syria. He said that the use of chemical weapons will be treated as a red line and any violation will attract strong response from them. "Any use of chemical weapons would results in reprisals and an immediate riposte, at least where France is concerned," Macron said at a joint news conference with Putin in which he added that his aim was the fight against terrorism in the country. Fresh from talks with his Western counterparts at a NATO meeting in Brussels and a G7 summit in Sicily, Macron was hosting the Russian president at the sumptuous 17th Century palace of Versailles outside Paris. The 39-year-old French leader and Putin exchanged a cordial, businesslike handshake and smiles when the latter stepped from his limousine for a red carpet welcome, with Macron appearing to say "welcome" to him in French. The two men then entered the palace to start their talks. "It's indispensable to talk to Russia because there are a number of international subjects that will not be resolved without a tough dialogue with them," Macron told reporters at the end of the G7 summit on Saturday, where the Western leaders agreed to consider new measures against Moscow if the situation in Ukraine did not improve. "I will be demanding in my exchanges with Russia," he added. Relations between Paris and Moscow were increasingly strained under former President Francois Hollande. Putin, 64, cancelled his last planned visit in October after Hollande accused Russia of war crimes in Syria and refused to roll out the red carpet for him. Then during the French election campaign the Macron camp alleged Russian hacking and disinformation efforts, at one point refusing accreditation to the Russian state-funded Sputnik and RT news outlets which it said were spreading Russian propaganda and fake news. Two days before the May 7 election runoff, Macron's team said thousands of hacked campaign emails had been put online in a leak that one New York-based analyst said could have come from a group tied to Russian military intelligence. Moscow and RT itself rejected allegations of meddling in the election. Putin also offered Macron's far-right opponent Marine Le Pen a publicity coup when he granted her an audience a month before the election's first round. Nonetheless, Russia's ambassador to Paris, Alexander Orlov said on Monday that he expected this first meeting between the two men to be full of "smiles" and marking the beginning of "a very good and long relationship". Orlov, speaking on Europe 1 radio, said he believed that Macron was "much more flexible" on the Syrian question, though he did not say why he thought this. Putin would certainly invite Macron to pay a visit to Moscow, he said. Putin's schedule included a trip to a newly opened Russian Orthodox cathedral in Paris - a call he had been due to make for its inauguration in October, but which was cancelled along with that trip. Clever Move Macron decisively beat Le Pen, an open Putin admirer in a fraught presidential election campaign, and afterwards the Russian president said in a congratulatory message that he wanted to put mistrust aside and work with him. Hollande's former diplomatic adviser, Jacques Audibert, noted how Putin had been excluded from what used to be the Group of Eight nations as relations with the West soured. Meeting in a palace so soon after the G7 summit was a clever move by Macron. "Putin likes these big symbolic things. I think it's an excellent political opportunity, the choice of place is perfect," he told CNews TV. "It adds a bit of grandeur to welcome Putin to Versailles." The Versailles exhibition commemorates a visit to France 300 years ago by Peter the Great, known for his European tastes. A Russian official told reporters in Moscow on Friday that the meeting was an opportunity "to get a better feel for each other" and that the Kremlin expected "a frank conversation" on Syria. While Moscow backs President Bashar al-Assad, France supports rebel groups trying to overthrow him. France has also taken a tough line on European Union sanctions on Russia, first imposed when it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and cancelled a $1.3 billion warship supply contract in 2015. During the campaign, Macron backed expanded sanctions if there were no progress with Moscow implementing a peace accord for eastern Ukraine, where Kiev's forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists. Since being elected, Macron appears to have toned down the rhetoric, although he noted the two leaders still had "diverging positions" in their first phone call. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

France's Macron calls Russia Today, Sputnik 'propaganda' while standing beside Putin

French President Francois Hollande on Monday urged voters to reject far-right leader Marine Le Pen in next month&#39;s presidential runoff against pro-EU candidate Emmanuel Macron.

Macron is the clear favourite to become France&#39;s youngest-ever president after topping Sunday&#39;s first round of voting with 24.01 percent of votes, ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen on 21.3 percent, according to final results.

The vote revealed a country deeply divided, with 39-year-old Macron, an advocate of open borders and free trade, leading the vote in cities and Le Pen topping the polls in rural areas that feel left behind by globalisation.

In a solemn address to voters, Hollande warned of the &quot;risk for our country&quot; of a far-right victory and said he himself would vote for Macron, who served as his economy minister for two years.

The Socialist president joined a long line of politicians urging voters to back Macron in order to thwart the anti-immigration, anti-EU Le Pen.

Le Pen seized on the flurry of endorsements for Macron from the ruling Socialists and main opposition Republicans -- both of which crashed out in the first round -- as proof he was the choice of a discredited old guard.

Visiting a market in the northern town of Rouvroy on Monday, 48-year-old Le Pen lashed out at the &quot;rotten old republican front&quot; -- the ad-hoc anti-FN coalition formed by mainstream parties whenever the party is at the gates of power.

&quot;I&#39;ve come here to start the second round campaign in the only way I know -- on the ground with the French people,&quot; she said.

She later told France 2 television: &quot;Nothing in either Mr Macron&#39;s policies or his behaviour suggests the slightest proof of love for France,&quot; and insisted, &quot;We are going to win.&quot;

Le Pen, who is also FN leader, also said she was setting party affairs to one side in order to concentrate on the campaign.

&quot;I will feel freer, I will be above partisan considerations, it&#39;s an important act,&quot; Le Pen said.

Macron received several congratulatory calls on Monday from European leaders relieved to find him in pole position.

Thanking Hollande in a tweet for his support, the former investment banker called on the French to &quot;remain true to France&#39;s values&quot; in the May 7 runoff.

He and Le Pen will take part in a TV debate on May 3.

According to two opinions that were carried out on Sunday night, Macron would beat Le Pen by 62-64 percent over 36-38 percent.

&#39;Healing wounds&#39;&nbsp;

Sunday&#39;s results were a stunning blow to France&#39;s traditional political class, with voters fleeing the ruling Socialists and conservative Republicans who have governed for the past half-century.

Both Macron and Le Pen campaigned as rebels who transcended the left-right divide.&nbsp;

Republicans candidate Francois Fillon was seen as the favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife and two of his children fictitious jobs as parliamentary assistants.

In the end, Fillon trailed in third with 20.01 percent, ahead of radical left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon on 19.58 percent.

On Monday, Fillon told the party&#39;s top brass he lacked &quot;the legitimacy&quot; to lead them into parliamentary elections in June.&nbsp;

&quot;I need to rethink my life and heal my family&#39;s wounds,&quot; he told them, according to a statement.

Fillon and fifth-placed Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon have both rallied behind Macron.&nbsp;

But &nbsp;Melenchon has pointedly avoided backing the centrist. The leaders of the Republicans squabbled Monday over whether to endorse Macron openly or simply urge supporters not to vote for Le Pen.&nbsp;

&#39;Patriots v nationalists&#39;&nbsp;

Addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters in Paris on Sunday evening, Macron said he aimed to unite &quot;patriots&quot; against &quot;the threat of nationalists&quot;.

Le Pen, who has been hoping to emulate Donald Trump&#39;s victory in the US, said the French faced a choice between &quot;runaway globalisation&quot; and a protectionist France.

Her plans to restore France&#39;s borders with its European neighbours, pull out of the eurozone and hold a referendum on leaving the EU had sown fear of another devastating blow to the bloc after Britain&#39;s vote to leave.

The euro and European stocks rose Monday, buoyed by expectations that Macron is the hot favourite for next president.

Le Pen gained over 1.2 million new voters compared with her last presidential bid in 2012, securing 7.7 million ballots, a result she hailed as &quot;historic&quot;.

But her share of the vote was far below a March poll high of 27 percent.

She follows in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie, who made it through to the 2002 presidential run-off in what was a political earthquake for France.

Le Pen senior went on to suffer a stinging defeat when mainstream parties closed ranks to keep him out.

Sunday&#39;s first round capped a rollercoaster campaign in a demoralised France, which has been rocked by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and is struggling to shake off a deep economic malaise.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(AFP)

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen is currently topping the polls in rural areas that feel left behind by globalisation

French President Francois Hollande on Monday urged voters to reject far-right leader Marine Le Pen in next month's presidential runoff against pro-EU candidate Emmanuel Macron. Macron is the clear favourite to become France's youngest-ever president after topping Sunday's first round of voting with 24.01 percent of votes, ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen on 21.3 percent, according to final results. The vote revealed a country deeply divided, with 39-year-old Macron, an advocate of open borders and free trade, leading the vote in cities and Le Pen topping the polls in rural areas that feel left behind by globalisation. In a solemn address to voters, Hollande warned of the "risk for our country" of a far-right victory and said he himself would vote for Macron, who served as his economy minister for two years. The Socialist president joined a long line of politicians urging voters to back Macron in order to thwart the anti-immigration, anti-EU Le Pen. Le Pen seized on the flurry of endorsements for Macron from the ruling Socialists and main opposition Republicans -- both of which crashed out in the first round -- as proof he was the choice of a discredited old guard. Visiting a market in the northern town of Rouvroy on Monday, 48-year-old Le Pen lashed out at the "rotten old republican front" -- the ad-hoc anti-FN coalition formed by mainstream parties whenever the party is at the gates of power. "I've come here to start the second round campaign in the only way I know -- on the ground with the French people," she said. She later told France 2 television: "Nothing in either Mr Macron's policies or his behaviour suggests the slightest proof of love for France," and insisted, "We are going to win." Le Pen, who is also FN leader, also said she was setting party affairs to one side in order to concentrate on the campaign. "I will feel freer, I will be above partisan considerations, it's an important act," Le Pen said. Macron received several congratulatory calls on Monday from European leaders relieved to find him in pole position. Thanking Hollande in a tweet for his support, the former investment banker called on the French to "remain true to France's values" in the May 7 runoff. He and Le Pen will take part in a TV debate on May 3. According to two opinions that were carried out on Sunday night, Macron would beat Le Pen by 62-64 percent over 36-38 percent. 'Healing wounds' Sunday's results were a stunning blow to France's traditional political class, with voters fleeing the ruling Socialists and conservative Republicans who have governed for the past half-century. Both Macron and Le Pen campaigned as rebels who transcended the left-right divide. Republicans candidate Francois Fillon was seen as the favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife and two of his children fictitious jobs as parliamentary assistants. In the end, Fillon trailed in third with 20.01 percent, ahead of radical left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon on 19.58 percent. On Monday, Fillon told the party's top brass he lacked "the legitimacy" to lead them into parliamentary elections in June. "I need to rethink my life and heal my family's wounds," he told them, according to a statement. Fillon and fifth-placed Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon have both rallied behind Macron. But Melenchon has pointedly avoided backing the centrist. The leaders of the Republicans squabbled Monday over whether to endorse Macron openly or simply urge supporters not to vote for Le Pen. 'Patriots v nationalists' Addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters in Paris on Sunday evening, Macron said he aimed to unite "patriots" against "the threat of nationalists". Le Pen, who has been hoping to emulate Donald Trump's victory in the US, said the French faced a choice between "runaway globalisation" and a protectionist France. Her plans to restore France's borders with its European neighbours, pull out of the eurozone and hold a referendum on leaving the EU had sown fear of another devastating blow to the bloc after Britain's vote to leave. The euro and European stocks rose Monday, buoyed by expectations that Macron is the hot favourite for next president. Le Pen gained over 1.2 million new voters compared with her last presidential bid in 2012, securing 7.7 million ballots, a result she hailed as "historic". But her share of the vote was far below a March poll high of 27 percent. She follows in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie, who made it through to the 2002 presidential run-off in what was a political earthquake for France. Le Pen senior went on to suffer a stinging defeat when mainstream parties closed ranks to keep him out. Sunday's first round capped a rollercoaster campaign in a demoralised France, which has been rocked by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and is struggling to shake off a deep economic malaise. (AFP)

French election: Hollande urges voters to reject Le Pen

French President Francois Hollande told the authors of a recently published book that &quot;France has a problem with Islam&quot;, comments that can divide his party before next year&rsquo;s presidential election.

Hollande spoke to the two authors of &quot;A President Shouldn&rsquo;t Say That....&quot; in December 2015, only a month after Jihadist gunmen and bombers attacked Paris, killing 130.&nbsp;

The book published on Wednesday, is written by journalists, Gerard Davet and Fabrice Lhomme, who met with Hollande 61 times, Reuters reported.

&quot;It&rsquo;s true that there&rsquo;s a problem with Islam. No one doubts it,&quot; Hollande is quoted as saying, Reuters reported.

&quot;It&rsquo;s not that Islam poses a problem in the sense that it is a dangerous religion, but in as far as it wants to affirm itself as a religion of the Republic.&quot; he added.

&nbsp;Similar statements have been made by conservative politicians in the past.&nbsp;

Since the late 1980s, successive Paris governments have &nbsp;failed in nurturing a liberal &quot;Islam of France&quot; to help integrate the faith into secular society.

In August, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the state must re-invent its relationship with the &quot;Islam of France&quot;.

On Hollande&rsquo;s comments, government spokesman Stephan Le Foll told Reuters: &quot;There&rsquo;s a problem with Islam today because Islam is politicised by some. There is a problem and at the same time we need to be able to overcome this problem.&quot;

According to Reuters, opposition politicians said on Wednesday that Hollande should spend less time talking to journalists and more time governing.

Late on Wednesday, Hollande also &nbsp;invited two of France&rsquo;s highest ranking judges to patch up relations after the book quoted him belittling judges, according to a tweet on the top appeals court&rsquo;s Twitter account.&nbsp;

 
 
&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Hollande's comments made to authors of a book published on Wednesday have drawn criticism from the opposition

French President Francois Hollande told the authors of a recently published book that "France has a problem with Islam", comments that can divide his party before next year’s presidential election. Hollande spoke to the two authors of "A President Shouldn’t Say That...." in December 2015, only a month after Jihadist gunmen and bombers attacked Paris, killing 130. The book published on Wednesday, is written by journalists, Gerard Davet and Fabrice Lhomme, who met with Hollande 61 times, Reuters reported. "It’s true that there’s a problem with Islam. No one doubts it," Hollande is quoted as saying, Reuters reported. "It’s not that Islam poses a problem in the sense that it is a dangerous religion, but in as far as it wants to affirm itself as a religion of the Republic." he added. Similar statements have been made by conservative politicians in the past. Since the late 1980s, successive Paris governments have failed in nurturing a liberal "Islam of France" to help integrate the faith into secular society. In August, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the state must re-invent its relationship with the "Islam of France". On Hollande’s comments, government spokesman Stephan Le Foll told Reuters: "There’s a problem with Islam today because Islam is politicised by some. There is a problem and at the same time we need to be able to overcome this problem." According to Reuters, opposition politicians said on Wednesday that Hollande should spend less time talking to journalists and more time governing. Late on Wednesday, Hollande also invited two of France’s highest ranking judges to patch up relations after the book quoted him belittling judges, according to a tweet on the top appeals court’s Twitter account. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

France has a problem with Islam: Francois Hollande

If US Republican candidate Donald Trump is elected president, it would be have a dangerous outcome and &quot;complicate&quot; relations between Europe and the United States, French President Francois Hollande has warned. 
 
&quot;Those who say that Donald Trump could not possibly become the next president of the United States are the same ones who thought that Brexit would never be voted in,&quot; Hollande said, referring to last week&#39;s British referendum which backed withdrawal from the European Union. 
 
Trump has been running on the kind of slogans peddled by the extreme right in France and elsewhere in Europe - fear of the wave of migration, stigmatisation of Islam, questioning representative democracy, denouncing elites - the French leader said in an interview to be published on Thursday in the French financial daily Les Echos. 
 
When asked whether a Trump presidency would be a dangerous thing, he answered &quot;yes&quot;. 
 
Trump&#39;s presence in the White House &quot;would complicate relations between Europe and the United States,&quot; Hollande added. 
 
A new opinion poll in the US showed that the race for the White House is set to be a close call. 
 
Respondents to the latest Quinnipiac University national poll put Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of Trump by just 42 per cent to 40 per cent, a narrowing from Clinton&#39;s four-point margin in the organisation&#39;s June 1 survey. 
 
Trump, the New York celebrity tycoon, has caused alarm in Europe with his abrasive style and pledges to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and build a wall on the border with Mexico. 
 
His proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States drew ire of Britain&#39;s Prime Minister David Cameron, who called the idea &quot;stupid, divisive and wrong&quot;. 
 
Trump has criticised the continent&#39;s leaders as &quot;weak&quot; and accused them of taking inadequate measures to combat terrorism, following the Islamist attacks on Brussels in March.&nbsp; 
 
Last month French Prime Minister Manuel Valls accused the presumptive US Republican presidential nominee Trump of being a &quot;bad man&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

The French President denounced US Republican candidate Donald Trump's prejudicial stance against immigration, democracy and Muslims

If US Republican candidate Donald Trump is elected president, it would be have a dangerous outcome and "complicate" relations between Europe and the United States, French President Francois Hollande has warned. "Those who say that Donald Trump could not possibly become the next president of the United States are the same ones who thought that Brexit would never be voted in," Hollande said, referring to last week's British referendum which backed withdrawal from the European Union. Trump has been running on the kind of slogans peddled by the extreme right in France and elsewhere in Europe - fear of the wave of migration, stigmatisation of Islam, questioning representative democracy, denouncing elites - the French leader said in an interview to be published on Thursday in the French financial daily Les Echos. When asked whether a Trump presidency would be a dangerous thing, he answered "yes". Trump's presence in the White House "would complicate relations between Europe and the United States," Hollande added. A new opinion poll in the US showed that the race for the White House is set to be a close call. Respondents to the latest Quinnipiac University national poll put Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of Trump by just 42 per cent to 40 per cent, a narrowing from Clinton's four-point margin in the organisation's June 1 survey. Trump, the New York celebrity tycoon, has caused alarm in Europe with his abrasive style and pledges to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and build a wall on the border with Mexico. His proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States drew ire of Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, who called the idea "stupid, divisive and wrong". Trump has criticised the continent's leaders as "weak" and accused them of taking inadequate measures to combat terrorism, following the Islamist attacks on Brussels in March. Last month French Prime Minister Manuel Valls accused the presumptive US Republican presidential nominee Trump of being a "bad man". (AFP)

A President Trump would 'complicate' US-Europe ties: Hollande

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