There is, however, plenty of other evidence on which to base a judgement on Mr Le Pen's political and ideological roots.They are not so much in Nazism as in the French home-grown tradition of xenophobia and paranoia, going back to the Dreyfus case and beyond.. British planespotters arrested for spying at a Greek airfield were carrying papers saying their hobby was illegal in Greece, their espionage trial heard yesterday. But he said the spotters could not have seen all the planes they recorded from the public areas.The spotters deny using the scanner to monitor frequencies used by airports and pilots They also deny taking any photographs at Kalamata. They all deny espionage, which carries a maximum penalty of five years' jail or a hefty fine.. Bertie Ahern, the Irish Prime Minister, has named 17 May as polling day for a general election, setting the scene for a contest in which Sinn Fein is tipped to do well.

If opinion polls are correct, he will probably return to power with an improved showing at the head of a new coalition after the election.Yet the current high level of cynicism about politicians is mostly due to Fianna Fail and its disgraced former leader Charles Haughey. Tribunals of inquiry have uncovered illegal payments of many millions to him and other senior party figures.This disillusionment with authority has gone beyond politics and engulfed the Catholic church. Anger has been directed against bishops who stand accused of decades of inaction against priests accused of sexually abusing children.One bishop has resigned, and the church is under extreme pressure to atone and to co-operate with the authorities in further investigations. In all its history, it has never faced such attacks from the faithful within the Republic of Ireland.The most recent scandal brought the resignation of a government minister, Bobby Molloy, who stepped down after a judge revealed he had received improper contacts. The judge said he had been asked whether he would take a call at home from the minister concerning a case he was trying.It turned out that the minister, Bobby Molloy, had passed on repeated representations to the Justice Ministry on behalf of a constituent whose brother is a convicted serial rapist.The case at first seemed to reveal an appalling vista in which politicians and even the government might involve themselves in individual court cases. On reflection, however, most concluded the episode was not as sinister as it first appeared, particularly since Mr Molloy has a reputation as a man of character and probity.It seems the case partly arose from the strong element of clientelism in the Irish system, where constituents routinely ask politicians to put in a word for them in dealings with all sections of authority, including the legal system.Mr Molloy's ill-fortune, it is now said, lay in the fact that he was too assiduous in passing on representations in the case of a sex offender.In political terms the case may yet benefit Mr Ahern, whose combination of luck and adroitness has earned him the nickname of the Teflon Taoiseach.

Mr Molloy was a member of Mr Ahern's government, but not of Fianna Fail. He belongs to the Progressive Democrats, a smaller party whose raison d'?e has been to increase standards in political life. One possibility for the next government is a renewed Fianna Fail and PD coalition, but if, as seems likely, the PDs lose support that may not be possible.For the opposition, the Molloy affair seemed to offer a political lifeline, since the two big parties, Fine Gael and Labour, have been lacklustre and uninspiring. But luck deserted them and the episode brought no new support.No French-style lurch to the right is on the cards, since the two most right-wing parties are centre-right with no hint of extremism. But the minor party that has made steady gains in recent years is Sinn Fein, whose associations with the IRA have proved no handicap in building support in disadvantaged areas.But, as ever, Irish politics revolves around Fianna Fail, a party adept at reinventing itself to suit the needs of the day. Mr Ahern has made a number of major errors in office, but has the invaluable knack of persuading the electorate not to bear a grudge against him.The combination of a generally buoyant economy, the opposition's wholly unimpressive performance and his own skills mean that – barring exceptional surprises – the general election's most likely result will be another term for the Teflon Taoiseach. The dail how the seats are distributedFianna FailLeader: Prime Minister Bertie AhernDail seats in 1997: 75 out of 166Populist governing party with strong nationalist roots It is currently in coalition with the Progressive Democrats.

FF has been in power for 50 years of its 74-year history, but has failed to win an overall parliamentary majority since 1977 Gained less than 40 per cent of the vote in 1997 Hit by series of sleaze scandals recently. Has six members in the European Parliament, allied to French Gaullists and Italy's post-Fascist Alleanza Nazionale.Fine GaelLeader: Michael NoonanDail seats in 1997: 54 The main opposition party. Since 1932, it has been in power for just 18 years, typically in coalition with Labour. Traditionally the party of law and order, the representative of large farming and business interests with a strong anti-Republican flavour. A member of the European Christian Democrat family.Labour PartyLeader: Ruair?uinnDail seats in 1997: 21 Pragmatic socialist party which has cohabited with Fine Gael to keep Fianna F? out of government. Made strong gains after 1990 when its nominee Mary Robinson was elected first female President.