Rome- Popular French reporter Mathilde Auvillain may upset veteran German correspondent Tobias Piller in elections for president of the Foreign Press Club this month, media pundits say.

 The winner will replace Herr Piller’s ally Maartin van Alderen, a Dutchman working for Die Telegraaf, at the helm of the Associazione della Stampa Estera in Italia in “Humility street,” the via dell’Umiltà a stone's throw from the Trevi fountain, as the association seeks to negotiate the future of its premises with the Italian government.

Ms Auvillain formerly worked at the French service of Vatican Radio where colleagues recall her dynamism and enthusiasm, while Herr Piller twice has served as president before.

 Ms Auvillain recently took over organising a monthly ‘Happy Hour’ event at the club bar that was so popular that the event has been suspended this month lest it ensure her election.

 In addition to the future of the club premises key campaign issues include the increasingly sky-high cost of membership, which at some 350,00 euros a year is almost four times the cost of membership of the club’s sister organisation in Milan and is prohibitive for many young freelances.

 The elections follow a series of changes in the foreign press corps with Tom Kington replacing James Bone as Times of London reporter, the Guardian seeking a new reporter after the return of Liz Davies to London and Josephine McKenna leaving the Religion News Service while reports that Vice Magazine was starting a Rome bureau with former Ansa English service editor Chris Livesay proved unfounded.

The foreign press association was founded in 1912 and has been immortalised in books such as The Kansas City Milkman by legendary United Press correspondent Reynolds Packard.