French presidential election shortlist reveals field of 12 candidates

Twelve candidates have made it to the starting line of the French presidential election, including a number of far-right candidates who espouse strong immigration restrictions and have recently been criticised for pro-Putin comments.

The incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, is leading in opinion polls with Marine Le Pen, the most well-known of the far-right candidates, running second.

Ms Le Pen was criticised last week after photos of her with Russian President Vladimir Putin resurfaced.

Asked about her meeting with Mr Putin in 2017, she said: “The Vladimir Putin of five years ago is not exactly that of today,” adding that he had “crossed a red line” in attacking Ukraine.

She said the war had “partly changed” her view. “Yes, it’s an authoritarian regime, historically and in culture. Even if we are judging by our western norms, which are not Russian norms,” she said.

Far-right populist Eric Zemmour, known for his diatribes on Islam and immigration, condemned the war but said “if Putin is guilty, the West is responsible”.

The first round of the 2022 French presidential election will be held on April 10.

The President of the Constitutional Council, Laurent Fabius, announced the 12 candidates who had made it to the starting line-up on Monday.

The candidates for the 2022 French presidential election. First row, left to right: Nathalie Arthaud, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Yannick Jadot, Jean Lassalle, Marine Le Pen. Second row, left to right: French President Emmanuel Macron, Jean-Luc Melenchon, Valerie Pecresse, Philippe Poutou, Fabien Roussel and Eric Zemmour, after the official announcement in Paris, France. Reuters

They are:

Nathalie Arthaud, a professor of economics representing the anti-capitalist Lutte Ouvriere
Nicolas DuPont-Aignan, an MP for Essonne who has already run twice, winning 1.79 per cent of the vote in 2012 and 4.70 per cent in 2017
Anne Hidalgo, making her first run for the presidency. She is the socialist mayor of Paris who has won re-election in the capital
Jean Lassalle, who has represented the 4th constituency of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the National Assembly since 2002
Marine Le Pen, president of the National Rally party, making her third run in the presidential election.
Emmanuel Macron won in 2017. The former deputy Secretary General of the Élysée and ex-Minister of the Economy has since faced the Covid-19 pandemic and Ukraine war
Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a left-wing candidate running for the third time
Yannick Jadot is a former director of campaigns for Greenpeace France
Valérie Pécresse is a centre-right candidate who has served as President of the Regional Council of Île-de-France since 2015
Philippe Poutou is a far-left former worker and trade unionist at Ford
Fabien Roussel is national secretary of the French Communist Party
Eric Zemmour is a populist far-right candidate trying to outflank Ms Le Pen

The Cairo Statement

1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations

2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred

3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC

4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.

5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.

6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security

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While you're here

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.