The French-American Foundation Weekly Brief

FRANCE

La Presse Canadienne reported that France has raised its health alert level in the midst of a worldwide outbreak of swine flu. Agence France Presse noted that several people in the Lille area with flu-like symptoms tested negative for the pig flu virus but that authorities continue to test patients across France. The head of Roche Laboratories, makers of anti-flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, insisted to Le Figaro that France is “well-protected” against the virus, with medicine available for 50 percent of the French population. The French Ministry of Health has set up a web portal with the latest information on the emergency measures being taken.

François Hollande, former secretary general of the Socialist Party, said that the Socialist movement lacks a “natural leader,” according to Le Figaro. Le Nouvel Observateur noted that the scheduled joint appearance on May Day by socialist heavyweights Martine Aubry and Ségolène Royal will not take place as planned.  L’Express looked at the up-and-down popularity of Ségolène Royal in the opinion polls.

Meanwhile, François Bayrou, leader of the centrist MoDem party, has released a scathing new book on the current administration, according to Le Point.  Le Monde noted that both the Elysée palace and Bayrou himself believe that the third-party centrist will be the “man to beat” in the second round of the 2012 election, and Libération said that Bayrou “has the left’s ear.”

Le Monde reported the results of a poll sponsored by the Representative Council of Black Associations in France that found that a majority of French people are favorable to statistical investigation into the “feeling of belonging” to a particular minority group to measure diversity and perceived discrimination. Two recent books on the notion of French nationality by French-American Foundation Young Leader Justin Vaisse and Equality of Opportunity program participant Patrick Weil were reviewed in the New York Review of Books by Robert Paxton. (subscription)

The New York Times described the French city of Châteauroux, former home of the largest American military base in Europe, and looked at the possibility of a return of American forces in the context of NATO.

See also:  
– Le Monde Diplomatique: Changes in the French army.
– The Guardian: A new English-language newspaper for France.

UNITED STATES

Les Echos reported that Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania has decided to switch parties and stand as a Democrat in the 2010 primary election. An analysis from Affaires-strategiques.info noted that Specter’s departure is indicative of an “identity crisis” for the Republican Party.

Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, in his weekly GOP internet and radio address, called on the United States to “be more like France” and take full advantage of nuclear technology to generate electricity, according to the Business Insider. The full address is available here from the Associated Press.

Le Parisien analyzed President Barack Obama’s first 100 days and asked if he had “changed the image of the United States.” Reuters presented a retrospective of the 100-day period and noted that economic issues dominated the agenda. Ouest-France evaluated the outcome of the first months of the Obama administration in light of European expectations. Libération evaluated what it saw as the press strategy of a “hypervisible” Obama presidency.

Agence France Presse reported that a 23-month-old Mexican boy visiting Texas was the first victim of swine flu in the United States, and Romandie.com looked at the extent of the American outbreak of the disease.

See also:
– Le Nouvel Observateur: Justice David Souter will retire from the Supreme Court.
– Salon.com: Farewell to the American century.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

The Straits Times reported that between 60,000 and 70,000 people lost their jobs in France in March, slightly down from the February rate. Le Monde provided an infographic look at the increase in the unemployment rate over the last seven months.

In an interview with Le Figaro, Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said that estimates of economic contraction in France may have to be increased but that an official estimate would have to wait until mid-May. Lagarde also appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart to discuss the economic downturn, France’s strategy for dealing with failing banks, and the importance of cooperation between France and the United States.

Société Générale Chairman Daniel Bouton announced his resignation this week after the bank lost billions of euros in faulty trades made by Jérôme Kerviel, according to the Scotsman. The Financial Times noted that – with the exception of the scandal – Bouton had a largely successful and impressive career as a banker.

The European Commission unveiled a set of draft regulations for greater regulation of hedge funds and private equity firms, according to Forbes. France warned that sections of the regulations that allow the European bloc to issue “passports” to foreign funds could be a “Trojan Horse” for offshore funds, according to the Financial Times.

See also:
– Trends.be: Why Obama could let Chrysler go bankrupt.
– The City Journal: Cheap coal and economic growth.

INTERNATIONAL

EU health officials issued a travel warning against unnecessary voyages to the United States and Mexico, as Spanish officials confirmed the first case outside of North America, according to MSNBC. In addition, the governments of Germany, France, and the UK issued similar warnings.  Slate.fr provided a Q&A on the transmission of “la grippe porcine.” L’Express explained that the term “swine flu” is in fact a misnomer, and that pork embargoes will do nothing to slow the spread of the virus. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Nathan Wolfe, the director of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative, explained how to prevent a global pandemic by monitoring human-animal interaction.

The Independent described President Nicolas Sarkozy’s state visit to Spain where he discussed counter-terrorism and the global financial crisis with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The two heads of state pledged to hold an international conference on Somalia with the goal of fighting piracy near the Horn of Africa.

Reuters described how a small but highly effective French task force is fighting seamlessly under U.S. command in Afghanistan and demonstrating the “mettle” of “Old Europe.” A piece from the Atlantic Community argued that equal burden-sharing and risk-sharing is critical to NATO cohesiveness and mission effectiveness.

Members of the Institut de prospective économique du monde méditerranéen signed an op-ed in Le Monde calling the Union for the Mediterranean a historic opportunity for Europe and the North African countries to work together on issues of energy, security, and technological innovation.

See also:
– Euronews.net: José Manuel Barroso will maintain the presidency of the European Commission.
– New Europe: Balancing political leadership and administration.

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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