The French-American Foundation Weekly Brief

Le Monde examined the mindset of French 16-25 year-olds, calling them a generation that has “lost faith in the future” and who are the most pessimistic in Europe. Youth Minister Martin Hirsch has launched a commission on youth politics, which will be tasked with identifying specific reforms for improving youth access to job training, employment, housing, and culture. Le Monde noted that the commission will include representatives from unions, business leaders, regional governments, and youth associations.

Meanwhile, Libération’s science blog noted that agitations continue over reforms in both secondary and higher education, and Le Monde asked why the government can’t seem to find a way out of the education reform crisis.

The Associated Press reported that the French National Assembly voted to ban the sale of alcohol to minors under the age of 18, with a fine of up to €7,500 for violators. Decanter.com noted that the final decision was actually a victory for the French spirits industry, since the body approved an amendment to the law which allows alcohol sellers to continue advertising on the Internet.

Yazid Sabeg, France’s commissioner for diversity and equal opportunity, suggested that France needed a statistical tool to “measure diversity,” not based on ethnic origin, according to Le Nouvel Observateur. France-info took up the debate, speaking to Patrick Lozès, president of the Federation of Black Associations in France and Amirouche Laïdi, president of Club Averroès, which monitors media diversity. Marianne asked, “Who is afraid of ethnic statistics?” The French-American Foundation provides a policy brief on the French controversy over the collection of ethnoracial statistics.

See also:  
– Chronicle of Higher Education: Lost in the archives in France.
– Times of London: Paris Fashion Week.

U.S. President Barack Obama lifted the ban on federal funding for stem-cell research, according to L’Express. La Recherche described a process by which these cellules souches can be taken from non-embryonic tissue, and La Croix looked at the history of bioethics law in France.

Rue89 explored the feasibility of a high-speed rail system in the United States similar to those in Europe after Congress set aside a $9 billion federal appropriation for the construction of a national rail system. A blog post from the National Review analyzed the state of health care reform and suggested the possibility of a Swiss-style health insurance system for the United States. The New York Times tech blog looked at the gap in broadband internet access between America and the rest of the world.

The ThinkProgress blog reported that U.S. Representative Jim Oberstar of the 8th district of Minnesota called for the lifting of retaliatory tariffs on French Roquefort cheese, noting that “‘Freedom fries’ and ‘freedom toast’ did serious damage to U.S.-French relations.”

Continental News described President Obama’s plan to reform education in the United States, including initiatives to raise state limits on charter schools and introduce merit pay for teachers. Romandie.com noted that the president hopes to raise the standing of U.S. education in global rankings.

See also:
– Le Figaro: French writers take Manhattan.
– The Christian Science Monitor: Americans are becoming less religious.

The Washington Post reported that the world is experiencing its first global recession since World War II. French industrial production “dropped violently” in early 2009, according to Les Echos. The Financial Times described a “growing rift” between Europe and the United States over how to respond to the economic crisis. Le Figaro said that Europe is asking for more regulation, while the United States advocates additional stimulus spending, and the International Herald Tribune explained that Germany is at the heart of the European resistance. In the New York Times, Liaquat Ahamed argued that Eastern Europe’s banking crisis may be much worse than expected and “politically harder to solve.”

An analysis at Slate.com explained that barriers of culture and tradition would prevent European social democracy from becoming the standard in the United States. Salon.com argued that some form of bank nationalization in the United States is “probably inevitable.”

The Financial Times reported that L’Oréal is taking on internet retailer eBay in court over counterfeit goods and the right of companies to dictate where their products are sold. France is looking to expand its use of nuclear energy at home and increase nuclear technology sales abroad, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The Charlotte Observer reported that Bank of America was forced to withdraw several job offers to visa-holding foreign business students due to provisions in the recently passed government stimulus bill. The Wall Street Journal argued that U.S. companies must be allowed to hire skilled foreign workers if they want to compete in the global economy.

See also:
– European Council on Foreign Relations: How the financial crisis affects European foreign policy.
– La Tribune: Financier Bernard Madoff pleads guilty.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that France will return to NATO’s integrated military command. The New York Times noted that France is likely to receive two important commands: the Allied Command Transformation project in Virginia and the regional command headquarters in Lisbon. Agence France Presse asked whether the move meant the end of Paris’s ability to “act independently on the world stage.” An op-ed in Le Monde argued that the real advantages of joining the alliance may be illusory for France in the long term.

Ukranian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko argued at Real Clear World that France has “consistently risen to the challenge of restructuring Europe in times of crisis” and that it should use its influence to encourage the EU to fully embrace Central and Eastern Europe.

RTFB Belgium asked whether “the Troubles” had returned to Northern Ireland following two separate attacks against soldiers and police. L’Express provided a timeline of agitation in the region since 1175. A piece in the Telegraph argued that despite the advances of the peace process over the last 10 years, peace has not come to Northern Ireland.

Speaking to Le Figaro, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that France is an ally of the United States but not a “follower.” In the Financial Times, French Defense Minister Hervé Morin remarked that better relations between France and the United States have given French diplomacy “more authority around the world.” Le Monde explored the difference between “direct diplomacy” and “foreign policy” as a basis for U.S. interaction with the world.

See also:
– Der Spiegel: Der Spiegel asked whether the EU is better for Obama than NATO.
– Bloomberg: President Sarkozy in Mexico.

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