They’re off! All 10 candidates now have to be treated with scrupulous media egalité from now until the election.
I was intrigued to learn that on TV and radio, they are to be allowed 18 slots each, totaling 43 minutes – 10 of 90 seconds and 8 of 3.5 minutes. These slots also have to be equally weighted – no putting one on TV at the favoured 20:00hr slot and another at 2 in the morning – what a headache for the progamme-planners. Journalists have been studying their body-language – here are some comments: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/french-election-blog-2012/2012/apr/08/body-language-french-election-candidates
The poster campaign began yesterday – again fascinating. 
The posters all have to be the same size and can’t incorporate the red-white-and-blue of the flag. Neither can they have a white background as that is reserved for official notices. They go up in numbered slots – the order was determined by a draw. Driving through a village in the Vaucluse yesterday I noticed that several had been ripped down already!
Just as difficult to control as Vaucluse villagers is the internet. Now a song about the far left contender has gone viral: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/french-election-blog-2012/2012/apr/11/melenchon-mania-viral-pop-video?newsfeed=true
Funny too is last week’s Economist cover – but it’s surprising they didn’t keep going and personalise the nude lady!
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