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You are here: Home » Politics + Society » Archive » November 2007-2
POLITICS AND SOCIETY NEWS AND EVENTS ARCHIVE NOVEMBER 2007-2
Archives: November 16-20, 2007
Rwanda Says "Au Revoir" to French, Hello to English
Reuters. Nov. 20, 2007
The former Belgian colony of Rwanda is saying "au revoir" to all things
French and its Francophone alliances of the past. Rwanda is applying to
jopin the English-speaking Commonwealth grouping of mostly former
British colonies. Rwanda's split from Paris has been coming since the
central African nation's 1994 genocide in which 800,000 were
slaughtered by forces which some feel were enabled by French-trained
soldiers and elite. Since 1994, France has cut off its aid flow to the
small nation. Britain is now Rwanda's biggest bilateral donor and
provides nearly 50 million pounds ($103 million) annually.
> More
Sarkozy Mounts Showdown against the unions
Der Spiegel. Nov. 19, 2007
In a showdown over pension reform, French President Sarkozy is trying
to wrestle power from the last remaining bastion of the left, the
unions, and establish himself as the steward of the country's
long-overdue modernization process. The country's ruling party, the
Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP), are launching a
counteroffensive against "the France of the strikers." But French
citizens are depressed about their vanishing buying power and
employment insecurity.
> More
Sarkozy Approval Among French Falls to 51%, CSA Survey Shows
Bloomberg. Nov. 19, 2007
French President Nicolas Sarkozy's popularity dropped this month to its
lowest since his May election, according to a CSA poll, the third
survey in the past week showing declining approval ratings. The ratings
published in today's Le Parisien by Paris-based pollster CSA showed 51
percent approved of his performance, down 5 points from last month and
compared to a July peak of 65 percent. The survey reflected mounting
public frustration at a public transport strike that entered its sixth
day today and concerns over declining living standards.
> More
Sudan Accusation: Chad Orphans Were for Organ Donors
News24. Nov. 19, 2007
A top official in Sudan's main ruling National Congress Party said on
Nov. 19, 2007, that the French charity Zoe's Ark’s attempt to fly out
more than 100 African children from Chad was perhaps a cover for organ
trafficking. Nafie Ali Nafie, number two of the NCP, said: "The
question is why these children were being taken to the West? Perhaps to
provide organs such as hearts and kidneys to elderly patients."
> More
Kouchner Reassures Israel On Iran
AFP. Nov. 19, 2007
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner claims Iran's alleged nuclear
program is one of the gravest threats currently facing the world,
according to Israeli paper Haaretz. Kouchner, whos father is Jewish,
was in Israel for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders aimed at
ensuring the success of a peace meeting planned for Annapolis in the
United States before the end of this month. He also said that France
"will never compromise on Israel's security."
> More
UPDATE
NOV. 20, 2007: KOUCHNER DENIES IRAN WAR AN OPTION. The French foreign
minister said reports that France would consider military options
against Iran are false. Nov. 19, 2007. > More
Strikes have cost France 2 billion euros
Forbes. Nov. 18, 2007
France's finance ministry estimates the cost of strikes that have taken
place so far this year at 2 bln eur, Le Figaro reported in its Nov. 17,
2007 edition.
> More
Two Sides of Mr. Sarkozy
New York Times. November 18, 2007
The New York Times Editorial page opines “It is certainly a relief to
have a French leader who wants to improve relations with the United
States.” But Mr. Sarkozy’s European policy is “a worryingly old-style
French program for building protectionist walls around an economically
and demographically exclusive Europe.” He supports a costly European
system of agricultural subsidies, at the expense of other French and
European taxpayers. Sarkozy will have to resolve the conflict between
his trans-Atlantic overtures and his narrow protectionist vision for
Europe.
> More
Anti-strike group stages counter-protest
New York Times. Nov. 18, 2007
A group of French protesters fed up with shuttered subway stations and
a labor walkout say that stirkers are holding the country hostage. The
group called Liberté Cherie, or Beloved Liberty, responded with its own
"Stop the Strike" demonstration on Nov. 18. The group, though marginal,
drew some 8,000 people to its march in eastern Paris, according to
police estimates. While that is nothing like the masses that turn out
for union-organized events, the anti-strike group's point is popular:
Polls indicate that the French are siding with Sarkozy over the pension
reform.
> More
France’s Burma Sanctions Weaker than Canada’s
CanWestNews. Nov. 17, 2005
France and its European Union partners promise to step up economic
sanctions against Myanmar in the wake of human rights violations over
the last few weeks by the ruling military junta. French Oferign Affairs
Minister Kouchner said that France is "working with our European
partners on sanctions,” but France’s actions have fallen short of
countries like Canada, which has baned all exports to and from Burma.
> More
Sarkozy’s Death Blow to the French Left
Toronto Globe and Mail. Nov. 17, 2007
French President Nicolas Sarkozy made one of the most brazen and daring
moves in modern politics by offering top jobs to his most prominent
political enemies. For Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Sarkozy arranged the
presidency of the International Monetary Fund. Jack Lang got the job of
reforming the French government's major institutions. Bernard Kouchner,
the left's biggest celebrity, got the all-important job of Foreign
Minister. In one blow, he stripped the opposition Socialist Party of
its future, likely disabling its electoral hopes for a generation.
> More
Sarkozy and Fillon Popularity Drops
Angus Reid Global Monitor. November 17, 2007
Fewer French adults provide a positive assessment of their president
and prime minister, according to a review of three recent public
opinion polls. In a survey by Ipsos published in Le Point, 58 per cent
of respondents have a favourable opinion of Nicolas Sarkozy’s
performance, and 48 per cent feel the same way about François Fillon,
an average drop of 5 percentage points since September.
> More
Spanish Dominates as America’s Second Language
New York Times. Nov. 17, 2007
French immigration and language in the USA hardly show up on the radar
compared to the growth of Spanish. The number of Hispanics living in
the United States grew by 58 percent in the 1990s to nearly 13 percent
of the total population, and hispanic names are now among the top 10
baby names for American newborns, demonstrating how pervasively the
Latino migration has permeated everyday American culture.
> More
Brit Hordes Emigrate to France, Spain, Australia
Independent. Nov. 17, 2007
Britain’s Office for National Statistics revealed that The total number
of people leaving Britain – 400,000 – was the highest ever recorded,
though net immigration was still positive. France was third most
popular destination, with 40,000 Brits moving to France, while some
100,000 moved to Australia and 56,000 moved to Spain.
> More
Weak Dollar Hurts Airbus Profits
Der Spiegel. Nov. 16, 2007
The feeble greenback will cut earnings at Airbus’s parent company EADS
by more than $1 billion this year, CEO Louis Gallois says. "The main
threat we have before us is the US dollar," Gallois told BusinessWeek
in an interview on Nov. 16. The dollar's relative weakness against the
euro is sapping EADS' financial health, he said, because nearly all its
manufacturing is in the euro zone, while 60 percent of sales are
outside of that area, he said. "When the euro rises 10 cents [against
the dollar], we lose 1 billion euros" in operating profit.
> More
France warns its nationals in Chad
AllAfricaNews. Nov. 16, 2007
France warned its nationals in Chad to be very careful after the
"anti-France" demonstrations were staged in the country's capital,
N'Djamena, over the Zoe Ark child trafficking incident. Crowds chanted
slogans hostile to the French President and threw stones at vehicles
used by French nationals. Meanwhile, the judge in charge of the case
involving six French nationals charged with "attempts to abduct
underaged children" and "fraud" Wednesday rejected a request for the
provisional release of the detainees.
> More
France approves DNA tests for immigrants
UPI. Nov. 16, 2007
A special session of France’s Constitutional Council approved
legislation that would allow state-funded DNA testing to verify
familial ties as a last resort in immigration cases. The use of genetic
testing angered many opponents who feared it invaded rights to privacy
and compared the move to French anti-Semitic discrimination measures
during World War II.
> More
France Won’t Cooperate with Diana inquest
BBC. Nov. 16, 2007
Seven weeks into the inquest into the deaths of Diana, Princess of
Wales, and Dodi Al Fayed, differences are emerging between the British
and the French players. British lawyers and the media are furious that
France will not compel the French paparazzi to testify. The French are
afraid the British inquest will fault the way the French handled the
crash and their own inquiry. France’s intransigeance can only play into
the hands of those conspiracy theorists who believe that the French -
and possibly others - have something to hide.
> More
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