France: New parliament sits, with Socialist Speaker France's newly-elected parliament has begun work. Its youngest member is Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, the granddaughter of ex-National Front leader Jean Marie. However all eyes were on the new Speaker, Claude Bartolone. His election was no surprise. In this month's polls, his Socialist Party won an absolute majority in the lower chamber, known as the National Assembly. Bartolone becomes the fourth most important political figure in France, according to protocol. The Socialists" allies, the Greens, though, failed to give him their votes, angry at being refused the chairmanship of the Sustainable Development Committee. More about: France, French politics, Socialist party