The French-American Foundation Weekly Brief

FRANCE

France celebrated Bastille Day, its national holiday, and France Soir interviewed Bruno Dary, military governor of Paris, who organized the capital’s celebration. Le Figaro provided a slideshow of images from the parade, and Agence France Presse noted that Indian soldiers were invited for the first time to take part in the Bastille Day march. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the guest of honor at the celebrations, the first Indian leader to receive such an invitation, according to the Indian Express.  Additionally, Deutsche-Welle reported that Horst Koehler was the first German president to take part in the annual military parade.

In his official remarks, President Nicolas Sarkozy said that France remains committed to the mission in Afghanistan, saying that the armed forces would receive new intelligence gathering and protective equipment, according to Agence France Presse. Meanwhile, the storied French warship Joan of Arc, which long served as a training vessel and floating embassy for the French Navy, is being sent to England to be disassembled, according to the Telegraph.

French courts sentenced the killers of Ilan Halimi, a Jewish man who was abducted, tortured, and held by a gang in the Parisian suburbs who called themselves the “Barbarians.” Although the court sentenced the ringleader to life in prison, some criticized the sentences for the accomplices as being too lenient, and the New York Times reported that 14 of the 27 defendants will be retried.

Paris Match unveiled its list of the most popular French political figures, with Dominique Strauss-Kahn coming out on top, thanks to his perceived “competence” and “credibility.” Meanwhile, Le Monde evaluated the state of the Socialist Party, blaming a decrease in attendance at its summer conferences on a lack of cohesion among party leaders.

UNITED STATES

Frenchmorning.com reported that President Sarkozy will be in the audience at Radio City Music Hall in New York this weekend for his wife’s performance in a concert honoring the work of Nelson Mandela.

Slate.com provided “everything you need to know” about the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. RTBF Belgian radio described her first appearance “in the hot seat” before questioning senators, and the New York Times provided her opening statement.

The BBC reported that Democrats in the House of Representatives have introduced a bill to expand health insurance coverage to nearly all Americans, requiring them to acquire coverage or face tax penalties. Jonathan Cohn provided an outline of the new plan at the New Republic. The Real News Network compared the U.S. and Canadian health care systems, and the French-American Foundation published a policy brief comparing the American and French health care systems.

The Oregonian reported that three Oregonian veterans of World War II were awarded France’s highest award, the Légion d’honneur.

Grioo.com reported that President Barack Obama has nominated a new surgeon general of the United States – Dr. Regina Benjamin, a family practitioner and founder of a clinic in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

France’s lower house approved expanded Sunday work hours for businesses in France’s largest towns, according to Voice of America.  The Wall Street Journal published an editorial in support of the move, noting that “legislative backers say the measure could save 15,000 jobs.“

The Wall Street Journal described the meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and French Prime Minister François Fillon, during which they “reviewed the size and efficiency of the plans to help the economy during the downturn.” In the New York Times, Paul Taylor used Germany as an example of a wider banking crisis that is developing across Europe.

Forbes evaluated the state of French entrepreneurship, noting that the state is encouraging venture investing by allowing wealthy individuals to take tax deductions for investing in start-ups and by promoting the benefits of entrepreneurship.

At the New York Review of Ideas, Cambridge Professor Ha-Joon Chang discussed the limits of capitalism and argued that “well-designed, well-targeted” protectionist measures can encourage economic growth.

INTERNATIONAL

President Obama traveled to Accra in Ghana, exhorting African leaders to pursue good governance as a means of expanding cooperation with the United States. An analysis in Foreign Policy magazine argued that Obama “gets it wrong on Africa” and that it is a contradiction to “seek Africa’s solutions from the West.” During a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the United States “will remain clear-eyed about [its] purpose” and that foes should not mistake a willingness to negotiate as a sign of weakness, according to Politico

L’Express reported that two French military advisors assisting the Somali government were kidnapped from their hotel in Mogadishu. Libération decribed France’s military involvement in the Horn of Africa, including its training of a Somalian army battalion at its military base in Djibouti.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called for the release of French student Clotilde Reiss, who has been imprisoned by Iranian authorities on charges of espionage, according to Agence France Presse. Reiss, who was teaching French at Esfahan University, is being held at Evin prison for having taken photos on her cell phone during recent protests, according to Radio Free Europe.

L’Express reported that the newly-elected European Parliament is now in session and is looking to increase its influence on the continent. Europe1 noted that the new parliament’s president, Jerzy Buzek, is the first leader from a former Soviet bloc country – Poland.

The views expressed in the preceding press coverage are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the French-American Foundation nor its directors, officers, employees or representatives.

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