President Hollande has also been embarrassed by revelations that his former Socialist Party treasurer, Jean-Jacques Augier, held personal investments in two offshore companies in the Cayman Islands.

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He will be joined by Michel Barnier, a conservative former minister for Europe who is loyal to President Jacques Chirac and currently a senator from his Gaullist party.

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Horrified by the consequences of Thatcherite economics, first the unions and then the party turned to the social democratic Europe of Jacques Delors as a countervailing force.

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Jacques Wagner, governor of the Bahia province and part of the Workers Party (PT), has already invited Gabrielli to form part of his government.

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In France, President Jacques Chirac's enthusiasm for Turkish entry is out of tune with his people and his party.

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Daughter of former European Commission President Jacques Delors, she is seen as someone capable of rallying the left, and has led the party since the turbulence after the 2007 defeat.

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