That was supposed to be the role of Mr Tiberi, a 65-year-old Chirac loyalist for more than a quarter of a century.

ECONOMIST: France

RPR, which has discussed the idea of a common conservative candidate with the Liberal Democrats and the Union for French Democracy, will promote a second Tiberi term.

ECONOMIST: France

Paris Mayor Jean Tiberi reported a 20% cut in traffic during the day and a 65% increase in cyclists using the central rue de Rivoli and Boulevard Saint-Germain.

BBC: News | Europe | Off the roads

This effort may not only be good government, it also takes certain amount of courage on the part of Committee Chair Dave Camp (R-MI) and subcommittee chair Pat Tiberi (R-OH).

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However, Mr Tiberi, who says he is being made the scapegoat for abuses that predate his term of office, is no longer the sort of friend a president can afford to have.

ECONOMIST: France

Meanwhile, a few examining magistrates, such as Eric Halphen, who has pursued Mr Tiberi, and Eva Joly, whose targets include Mr Dumas, have become media stars thanks to their willingness to defy political pressure.

ECONOMIST: French justice