THE FRENCH-AMERICAN FOUNDATION WEEKLY BRIEF

France

On Tuesday, June 15, heavy rains led to devastating flash flooding in the Var region of southwestern France, according to the AP . Le Figaro reported that the death toll from the flooding had reached 25 by Thursday, with Var General Council president predicting that more bodies would be found as the flood waters receded. L’Express published photos of the flood’s devastation, which ravaged infrastructure, stranded residents, and left over 100,000 homes without power. 

France announced plans for an austerity package aimed at reducing the country’s public deficit to three percent of its gross domestic product by 2013, according to the AFP. The plan is more conservative than Germany’s 86 billion Euro spending cuts, which put it on track for zero deficit by 2014. In an interview with RFI and TV5 Monde on Sunday, June 13, Christian Noyer, chairman of the Bank of France, said that he believed the three percent deficit goal was realistic.

The French government unveiled plans on Wednesday, June 16, to raise the standard minimum retirement age from 60 to 62 by 2018, according to the Wall Street Journal.  The pension overhaul plan aims at eliminating pension deficits, which reached 15 billion Euros in 2008. After Minister of Labor Eric Woerth announced that there would be no negotiation on the retirement age increase, La Croix reported that union leaders had condemned the proposed reform and planned a mass protest for June 24. Le Figaro outlined the elements of the proposal, which include increasing the retirement age by four months per year and raising income taxes from 40% to 41% on those in the highest income bracket.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Don Thompson, the chief operating officer of McDonald’s discussed the controversy around a recent French McDonald’s ad depicting a gay teen and his father accompanied by the slogan “come as you are.” Noting his own Christianity, Thompson said while it has gone over well in France, because of different “cultural norm[s],” the company would not air the ad in the United States. Last week Le Post reported on the public reaction to the ad, which has now been parodied in several YouTube videos. Along with American social conservative groups, gay business groups also condemned the ad. For example, the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce cut off ties with McDonald’s because the company would not run the ad outside of France.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met in Paris on Friday to discuss a military deal to build four French warships for the Russian navy, according to the AP. The two leaders also spoke about the upcoming G20 summit, as well as of Russia’s support of sanctions against Iran and its continued commitment to freeze the sale of S-300 missiles to Iran.