The French-American Foundation Weekly Brief

Historian Robert Paxton, known for his groundbreaking research on the Vichy Regime and occupied France, received the Légion d’honneur from former Minister of Culture Jack Lang in New York, as a result of a special request by President Sarkozy, according to Nonfiction.fr. While Lang was in New York for the presentation of the award, France-Amérique took the opportunity to interview him on French domestic issues. As part of its Tuck Speakers Series, the French-American Foundation is hosting Professor Monique Saigal on April 27th for a reception and discussion of her new book, Héroïnes Françaises, 1940-1945: Courage, Force et Ingéniosité, a collection of interviews with women who served in the French Resistance.

Former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal gave an interview to Le Journal du Dimanche in which she compared contemporary France with the Ancien Régime. President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned the illegal detention of plant managers, insisting that the administration would not allow the “bossnappings” to continue and that the law must be respected, according to Les Echos. A poll conducted by Le Parisien found that one in two French people believe that such detentions are “acceptable” as a form of protest against factory closures.

Libération reported that, speaking in Dakar, Royal gave a speech apologizing for and criticizing a speech given last year by President Sarkozy in which he said that Africa had not “entered into history.” Slate.fr noted that the denunciation was well-received in Africa and called Royal the “Joan of Arc of Dakar.”

Salon.com argued that “the French are right” to promote generous social programs that provide universal childcare and tuition-free higher education. Eurodeputy Daniel Cohn-Bendit and philosopher Edgar Morin discussed how government policy should be environmentally responsible and should “put people at the center of policy” instead of protecting only the market economy.

Immigration Minister Eric Besson received new marching orders from the Elysée palace, which called on him to “consolidate the success” of the last 18 months in creating an immigration policy that is “balanced, just, and firm.” The lettre de mission is available on the Elysée website.

See also:  
–  Agence France Presse: France is still the number one tourist destination in the world.
–  Reuters: Questions about NATO protests in Strasbourg.

Les Echos reported on Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s recommendations for changes in the Pentagon’s budget, which included reductions in funding for conventional weapons and an increased focus on counter-insurgency strategies. According to Janes.com, Gates said that the new spending priorities were more in line with emerging global threats.

Pirates operating in the Indian Ocean captured a cargo ship, the Maersk Alabama, sailing under an American flag, according to Ouest-France. RFI explained that the crew was able to retake control of the ship, but as of this writing the captain remains a hostage of the pirates who escaped on a lifeboat.

Le Nouvel Observateur provided a timeline of shootings in the United States, the number of which has spiked over the past month and a half. Le Monde called this week “bloody” and summarized the latest violent incidents.

The New York Times compared U.S. strike culture to that of France, noting that organized labor had a “longer fuse” in the United States and that “America’s individualist streak is a major reason for this reluctance to take to the streets.” According to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone poll, only 53 percent of Americans think that capitalism is better than socialism.

See also:
– The New York Times: Liberty, Equality, Envy.
– The Toronto Star: The French call her “Miss Obama.”

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said that the eurozone will “close ranks” to make sure all of its members stay together to weather the crisis, according to Reuters. A New York Times/CBS News poll indicated that Americans have grown increasingly confident and optimistic about the economy. L’Express, however, noted that the French real estate market is still headed downward with little sign of recovery.

RTL noted that the internationally renowned business school HEC will offer free tuition to the most economically disadvantaged students who pass the entrance exam.

In Le Monde Diplomatique, Akram Belkaïd described how construction and consumer spending can drive or stall the global economy. Marianne reported that billionaire investor George Soros questioned whether the dollar will remain the international reserve currency.

The New York Times reported that France was on the cusp of approving a new law to combat internet piracy, which would cut off internet service after a user’s third illegal download. But French lawmakers rejected an initial version of the text, according to Le Nouvel Observateur, delaying its passage until at least May.

See also:
– EUBusiness: An EU probe into Dutch bank bailouts.
– Weekly Standard: Is the overly predicted life worth living?

The Financial Times noted at last week’s NATO summit that President Obama showed particular skill in brokering deals between world leaders. Successes included defusing Turkish opposition to Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s appointment as head of NATO and resolving a dispute over tax havens between France and China, according to Bloomberg. Le Monde declared that a “page had been turned” in American foreign policy. The Telegraph asked what NATO will become under Rasmussen’s leadership. Stratfor argued that the only reason that the NATO summit appeared to be a success is because the United States accepted Europe’s “unwillingness to compromise” on key issues – such as increasing European forces in Afghanistan. 

Politico.com reported on President Sarkozy’s warm welcome to President Obama and noted the French president’s pledge to help shut down Guantanamo Bay by receiving a terror detainee on French soil. The Federal News Service provided a transcript of President Obama’s town hall meeting in Strasbourg. Le Monde compared the presidential styles of Obama and Sarkozy.

Le Point described President Obama’s speech to the Turkish parliament, in which he declared that the “United States is not at war with Islam” and reiterated his support for Turkish membership in the EU. The Brookings Institution argued that Turkey is a crucial ally of the United States that is consistently neglected. The U.S. president’s support for Turkish membership was “met coolly” by Paris and Berlin, according to Reuters, and Marianne contended that the support may chill relations between France and the United States. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner rescinded his long-held support for Turkish accession, citing the country’s evolution “toward a less robust secularism,” according to RTL.

France called for “unanimous action” from the UN Security Council in response to the rocket launch by North Korea, according to the Xinhua news service, and the United States said that it will seek a “resolution with some teeth in it,” reported Agence France Presse. At a speech in Prague during his European tour, President Obama “pledged to lead the quest for a world without nuclear weapons” and said that the United States will push for genuine progress and dialogue on non-proliferation and arms control, said Deutsche-Welle.

See also:
– World Affairs Journal: Europe’s last man.
– Middle East Times: Obama’s surprise Baghdad visit.

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