The trouble with asking the people: Thoughts on EU referenda past and present

The decision by British voters to leave the EU comes with a certain sense of déjà vu. It is reminiscent of the French decision to reject the European Constitution back in 2005. Both polls have important similarities - but also key differences.
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UK election: Will the head of Scottish Labour lose his seat?

In this Thursday’s general election, I will be voting in a key constituency. My current MP is Labour’s Jim Murphy, who is also the leader of Scottish Labour. Could he really lose his seat to the Scottish National Party, as some polls suggest?
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Scottish independence referendum: The real unanswered question

In just 10 days' time, the Scottish people (well, those living there) will decide if Scotland should break away from the UK and become independent. Many questions remain unanswered. But one issue has received little attention.
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Why are the British so fussy about horsemeat?

While the French huff, puff, point fingers and call for stricter controls on meat imports, there is one part of the horsemeat affair that has intrigued them even more than the scandal itself. Why are the British so revolted by eating horse flesh?
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Cheated French warn Britain against EU divorce... and beef with jam

The French press reacted to British Prime Minister David Cameron’s EU referendum speech on Wednesday with an array of metaphors including tales of divorce, murder and religious sacrifice. Who would have thought European politics could be so exciting?
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France aghast as Economist mocks baguette-wielding Obama

British news magazine The Economist has managed to upset the French again, this time by publishing a mock-up of Barack Obama in a stripy T-shirt, red scarf and blue beret, accompanied by the words “broken” and “lousy”.

Tea for two: France’s Mélenchon pays Julian Assange a peculiar visit

Julian Assange was the lucky recipient of a visit from French firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Thursday, when the far-left leader dropped into the Ecuadorian embassy to garner the pair a bit of much-needed media attention.

France, where people still take Boris Johnson seriously

London Mayor Boris Johnson might be delighting the Brits with his cheeky jibes and jovial manner, but across the channel he is deemed a Francophobe who doesn’t know his history after making a silly jibe targeting President François Hollande.

'Missing Megan': Why the French didn’t care to know

While the tale of a runaway schoolgirl and her teacher excited and horrified Brits in equal measures, the French barely noticed it. A case of child abduction or an ill-fated love affair? The cross-Channel viewpoint couldn’t have been more different.
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François Hollande seen from London: A charismatic bank-bashing rockstar

François Hollande spent Wednesday in London, eating Yorkshire puddings with his Labour counterpart and posing for photos under Big Ben. How did the British press react to the French presidential frontrunner’s cross-Channel sojourn?