The French-American Foundation Weekly Brief

FRANCE

French President Nicolas Sarkozy delivered an address to a joint session of parliament at the palace of Versailles, which the Washington Post noted was the first speech of its kind in 136 years. Libération outlined the main points of the speech, including his desire for a proscription of the wearing of the burqa in France, and his insistence that affirmative action programs be based on social instead of race-based factors. In the New York Times, John Vinocur argued that the speech may indicate a personal “rebranding” on the part of the president.

Charles Bremner of the Times described the president’s cabinet reshuffle, which saw the replacement of eight ministers, including the move of Michèle Alliot-Marie to the Ministry of Justice, replacing Rachida Dati. Ouest-France provided profiles of the eight new ministers, including Frédéric Mitterrand, the nephew of former French President François Mitterrand. The Irish Times called Mitterand’s appointment an “overture to the left,” and the Independent noted that he is the nation’s first openly gay cabinet minister.

The Associated Press described the anger of Muslim groups over the possibility of banning the burqa.  New Muslim groups are mushrooming in France, reflecting a growing disenchantment with the country’s main Islamic organization and an openness to non-practicing Muslims, according to USA Today. The Guardian suggested a rereading of Hegel’s distinction between abstract and concrete freedom to analyze the issue of the burqa. 

It’s a question of winning the battle of ideas to win the battle of politics, said La Vie des Ideés, as it described new efforts by the Socialist Party to build an “idea lab” to lay the intellectual groundwork for a new presidential effort. The party is planning a number of “conventions” and “workshops” in 2010 to discuss new models of economic development, education, research, and international policy, according to Libération.

See also:
– Slate.com: How the Michelin guide ruined French restaurants.
– French-American Foundation: Covering Immigration – An International Media Dialogue.

UNITED STATES

Le Monde reported the return of New York Times reporter David Rohde, who had been kidnapped by insurgents and held hostage in the mountains of Pakistan. Mediapart described the media blackout that surrounded his captivity and told of the specific circumstances of his escape. Slate.fr asked whether “mediatization” of hostage situations improves or detracts from the possibility of the hostage’s release.

The cultural services of the French Embassy in New York is hosting a French-American discussion on the world financial crisis with Guy Sorman and Roger Cohen, with additional information available here.

Agence France Presse reported that the U.S. Department of Defense has created a new “cybersecurity” command to counter the efforts of spies and pirates who target information systems in the United States.

President Barack Obama signed into law a sweeping anti-tobacco measure, according to Europe1, which targets in particular manufacturers of cigarettes. Le Nouvel Observateur reported that, when questioned about his own tobacco use, the president admitted to having several “relapses,” but said that he was “95 percent cured.”

Writing in Rue89, journalist Armelle Vincent described her personal experience with trying to get individual health insurance in the United States, noting that 62.1 percent of personal bankruptcies are due to health problems.

See also:
– Le Monde: Supporting American foreign policy.
– Romandie.com: A new climate change bill.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

“Greed is good, to a point,” said Fareed Zakaria, as he argued that American capitalism has to come to grips with long-neglected problems as it is “rebalanced, reregulated and thus restored.” The OECD released its Economic Outlook, with the body’s president remarking that world economics “no longer appear to be in freefall.”

France’s budget deficit may grow to 7 percent of the gross domestic product in 2009 and may be the same the same in 2010 as government spending increases and the economic downturn erodes revenue, according to Bloomberg. L’Express noted that Budget Minister Eric Woerth said that the state’s budget would likely fall short of European standards in 2012 because of the enduring economic troubles.

La Tribune said that following a two-day meeting, the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates at their near-zero level, noting that inflation was still contained.  Le Figaro said that the European Central Bank injected a record €442 billion into the eurozone this week in order to loosen the credit market and attempt to counteract the recession there.

The Wall Street Journal reported that car manufacturer PSA Peugeot-Citroën SA expects large losses this year and may seek a major alliance with another car company.  EasyBourse.com asked whether the car manufacturer can continue to compete in a European auto market that is plagued by overproduction and slow growth.

See also:
– The Atlantic: Why the Economist is thriving.
– France-Amérique: The French-American Conference of Entrepreneurs.

INTERNATIONAL

The Associated Press reported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to France for meetings with French Prime Minister François Fillon and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. An editorial in the Jersusalem Post evaluated the state of French-Israeli relations.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in major cities in France, the United States, and Germany to condemn Iran’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tehran, according to CNN. EUobserver reported that European embassies in Tehran are torn over the issue of accepting wounded Iranian protestors. Canadian Cyberpresse described the symbolic influence of Neda Agha-Soltan, a 27-year-old woman who was allegedly shot by Iranian security forces. Le Figaro said that the Council of Guardians concluded that there were no significant irregularities in the results of the election and that they would not annul the outcome. The European Council on Foreign Relations provided an analysis calling for “democracy without adjectives.”

Athens inaugurated a new Acropolis museum, reigniting the long-standing dispute between Greece and Britain about the ownership of the Elgin Marbles, according to Presseurop.eu. L’Express provided a visual slideshow of the new facility.

The European Union is “stepping up” its contacts with Pakistan, according to the New York Times, offering aid, trade concessions, and counterterrorism assistance at a summit in Brussels. But the Atlantic Community interviewed 30 international experts who nearly unanimously called for a much stronger commitment to the stabilization of Pakistan than what was promised at the meeting.

See also:
– Reuters: Kuwait in nuclear talks with AREVA.
– CEPS: Priorities for the Swedish presidency of the EU.

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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