| France
Ioanna Kohler, director of the Equality of Opportunity program at the French-American Foundation, was interviewed by Respect magazine in an issue comparing France and the United States on questions of rights and equality. An article in the New York Times explored prospects for minority participation in French politics and highlights a recent workshop during which three members of President Barack Obama’s campaign team spoke to 60 emerging French leaders from minority backgrounds in a program sponsored by the French-American Foundation – France.
Le Monde recounted the story of the taking of the French yacht Tanit by Somali pirates and the subsequent death of its owner and captain, Florent Lemaçon, during a rescue operation by French forces. The BBC described the return of the surviving hostages to France. French Defense Minister Hervé Morin advised French citizens to avoid the waters off Somalia and promised to release all information regarding the circumstances of Lemaçon’s death. According to the New York Times, French forces seized 11 suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean off Somalia.
A plan to eliminate 33 of France’s electoral districts is drawing denunciations from the Socialist Party, whose leader, Martine Aubry, argued that because the left would lose more seats, the plan is an “electoral bulwark” for the right, according to Le Monde. Interior Secretary Alain Marleix defended the plan in an interview with Le Figaro, arguing that because 15 of the 33 eliminated districts are held by the right, the final effect on a 577-seat assembly would be “quite neutral.” Rue89 explained why a redrawing of districts is necessary, as the current map is based on census numbers from 1982.
In an interview with Le Monde, Socialist Deputy Manuel Valls said that the Socialist Party needed a “generational shift.” Former head of the party François Hollande discussed with L’Express the prospect of a partnership with François Bayrou, leader of the centrist MoDem party.
See also:
– The Washington Post: Maurice Druon, author of “Le Chant des Partisans” is dead at 90.
– Associated Press: Fighting forced marriages and genital mutilation in France. |
| United States
At Real Clear World, David Paul Kuhn discussed the United States’ place in the world and the possibility of an end to “Pax Americana.”
Euronews described the naval rescue of Richard Phillips, who had been taken hostage by Somali pirates. The Times of London said that the successful operation may put a stop to comparisons between President Barack Obama and former President Jimmy Carter. The BBC offered some advice from the 19th century on stopping piracy.
Le Monde gave a detailed description of daily life in the traveling presidential press pool, the select group of reporters who follow the U.S. president on foreign trips.
The Dallas Morning News compared palliative and end-of-life care in the United States and France, noting that while hospice care is well-established in America, it remains relatively rare in France.
Canadian Cyberpresse described myriad “Tea Parties” held in various cities around the United States by conservative groups on April 15 – the date for filing U.S. income taxes – to protest the fiscal policies of the Obama administration. Le Point reported that the Obama family’s tax returns indicated an income of $2.65 million, resulting in $855,323 paid in federal income tax.
See also:
– France Info: The new White House dog.
– Le Figaro: A new approach to Cuba. |
| Business and Economy
CNN compared the entrepreneurial environment in France and the United States, noting that a more welcoming business environment in the United States means that “more and more U.S. technology companies are founded by French entrepreneurs.”
The Washington Post described how visa difficulties are leaving skilled foreign workers stranded in their home countries, and the New York Times described how recruiting for U.S.-based high-tech industries is being impeded by American immigration rules.
The French government is tapping American expertise to help revitalize the ailing freight arm of its national rail system, possibly using a technique known as “shortlining,” according to the Financial Times.
AHN reported that French fisherman blockaded two northern ports using underwater cables, disrupting ferry and freight service. France Info invited Emmanuel Kessler to explain how fishing quotas actually work.
See also:
-Telos: Why the French strike.
-La Vie des Idées: Money, Development , and Globalization. |
| International
Le Figaro provided a demographic breakdown of French citizens living abroad, concluding that among 2 million of these French expatriates, there are increasing numbers of young people and women.
In the Telegraph, Janet Daley argued that under Obama, the United States is taking “a long, cold look at trans-Atlantic relations” and that Europe’s “newfound passion” for the United States may be unrequited. Le Figaro noted that the Elysée palace may not be ready to fully embrace a total disavowal of nuclear weapons.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika won a third term in office in an election that Libération described as “Bouteflika against himself.” The Independent called the result – a win with over 90 percent of the vote – “too good to be true.” The Associated Press outlined the many challenges that face the new president in his coming term, including unemployment and corruption.
The United States may drop a longstanding precondition for nuclear talks with Iran, namely: a rapid shutdown of Iran’s nuclear facilities in the early stages of talks, according to the New York Times. In an interview with the Iranian Etemad, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expressed hope that Iran would cease its uranium enrichment program.
See also:
– Euractiv.com: Club Med stalled?
– Le Nouvel Observateur: A rapprochement for Paris and Baghdad? |
| 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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