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You are here: Home » Politics + Society » Archive » November 2007-7
POLITICS AND SOCIETY NEWS AND EVENTS ARCHIVE NOVEMBER 2007-7
Archives: November 28-30, 2007
France Pledges to Protect Journalists
AP. Nov. 30, 2007
The United States, Britain and France pledged Thursday to take all
necessary steps to ensure the safety of journalists in war zones. The
three countries became the first signatories of the Geneva Convention
to accept a new nonbinding accord on protecting correspondents in
conflict, said the International Committee of the Red Cross. The
countries promise to educate their soldiers and security forces in
international humanitarian law. The agreement also asks them to
preserve media independence and act against those who seriously violate
the rights of journalists. Media rights campaigners cautiously welcomed
the pledge, but said its effectiveness would be measured by what the
countries did in practice. France already has problems ensuring media
objectivity according to Reporters without Borders.
> More
China Ignores France on Currency, Other Issues
UK Times. Nov. 30, 2007
The link between the yuan and the sinking dollar is costing eurozone
exporters dear, so President Sarkozy lectured the Chinese about the
iniquities of his country’s managed exchange rate policy. But it is
clear that China will go its own way on currency issues, as on Tibet,
global warming, environment and human rights. France has no influence
on China in these areas, and must tread softly in order to keep China’s
huge markets open to their aircraft and nuclear reactor vendors.
> More
European GPS Comes to Market
Der Spiegel. Nov. 30, 2007
The European Union agreed Friday to complete the development of a
satellite navigation system to rival the American GPS network. It is
scheduled to go live in 2013 and is meant to free Europe from the
Pentagon's GPS system. Galileo has a total budget of €3.4 billion ($5
billion).
> More
Sarkozy blames riots on thugs
Washington Post. Nov. 30, 2007
President Sarkozy blamed what he called a "thugocracy" of criminals for
the recent Paris riots. "I reject any form of other-worldly naïveté
that wants to see a victim of society in anyone who breaks the law, a
social problem in any riot," he said in a speech to police officers
west of Paris. "What happened in Villiers-le-Bel has nothing to do with
a social crisis. It has everything to do with a thugocracy." Sarkozy
seems to ignore the well-documented racism and 40% unemployment that
affects immigrant ghettoes.
> More
Sarkozy's plans to boost French purchasing power
Reuters. Nov. 30, 2007
President Sarkozy on Thursday suggested a series of measures aimed at
boosting households' purchasing power, the top concern for French
voters. He laid out the following proposals during an interview on
French television: some firms could be made exempt from the 35-hour
work week limit in return for wage rises; double pay for working
Sundays; employees should be allowed to opt to be paid for working more
than 35 hours, rather than getting time off; public servants who worked
overtime should be eligible for the same benefits that applied to
private sector workers; reductions in prices in large supermarkets;
tenants should pay less deposit and no guarantee; Indexing rises in
rents to general consumer price inflation.
> More
French Immigrant Suburbs Seethe
Economist. Nov. 29, 2007
Mr Sarkozy, who was demonised in the immigrant during the election
campaign for his harsh anti-immigrant stance, appointed a left-wing
Muslim woman, Fadela Amara, as a minister to deal with the inner
cities. Her “Marshall plan” for the banlieues is due in January. By
including her, as well as others from ethnic minorities, in government,
he sent a message of inclusion to the heavily Muslim suburbs. But the
two biggest problems in these neighbourhoods remain: unemployment which
can reach 40% in the ghettos, and the tense relationship between the
police and local youths.
> More
Purchasing Power Tops French Concerns
AP. Nov. 29, 2007
According to a poll by the TNS-Sofres agency, 49 percent of respondents
said they trusted Sarkozy to resolve the country's problems, while 49
percent said they did not. A month ago, 53 percent of respondents said
they trusted his abilities. A majority of the survey's respondents said
the government has been ineffective in improving purchasing power — a
key priority for French voters.
> More
Riot Areas: State of Emergency
IHT. Nov. 29, 2007
The post-riot calm in Villiers-le-Bel, enforced by 1,000 police
officers deployed at sunset every night, has a precarious feel to it as
an undeclared state of emergency hobbles daily lives in multiple ways.
Helicopters buzz the buildings, keeping residents awake, and few
venture outdoors after dark, when rows of shielded riot police take up
positions around the town.
> More
Algerian president distances himself from strong anti-French remarks
AP. Nov. 29, 2007
President Bouteflika of Algeria tried to defuse a dispute with France
before a state visit by President Nicolas Sarkozy by distancing his
government from remarks by his war veterans Minister that Sarkozy was
elected because of a "Jewish lobby." “"Such comments do not at all
reflect Algeria's position," Bouteflika said. "The French president
will be received as a friend” on his upcoming state visit.
> More
BHL on Pakistan
Global Viewpoint. Nov. 29, 2007
Bernard-Henri Levy is France's trendiest public intellectual and the
author of ""Who Killed Daniel Pearl?" In a recent interview he
reaffirms his support for Sarkozy and his belief in rance as “ the
birthplace of the Enlightenment.” He calls Pakistan a “a ticking bomb
with nuclear weapons” and predicts “a great eruption.” He warns that
the center of gravity of Islamist fundamentalism is shifting from the
Arab world to the Asiatic world.
> More
Sarkozy and Class Struggle
Socialist Worker. Nov. 28, 2007
French transit workers ended a crippling strike after 10 days without
winning their main demand that the government scrap a plan to end a
special retirement plan for half a million public-sector workers.
President Sarkozy’s vow to “liquidate the legacy” of May 1968, tame the
working-class movement, and end France’s traditions of mass protest is
certain to lead to more and bigger confrontations in the future.
> More
France’s Problem is Government, Not Unions
Bloomberg. Nov. 28
Sarkozy’s recent confrontations with strikers and rioters has been
proclaimed as a “Thatcher moment,'' the turning point for a country in
need of reform. But the President has picked the wrong enemy. France
doesn't have a union problem. It has a government problem: a bloated
state apparatus mired in bureaucracy and excessive regulation. And so
far, there has been little sign Sarkozy realizes that, let alone has
any intention of fixing it.
> More
Algerian minister: Sarkozy and the 'Jewish lobby'
AP. Nov. 28, 2007
Algerian government minister's remarks about a "Jewish lobby" being
behind French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Mohamed Cherif Abbas,
Algeria's minister for veterans, was quoted Monday in the daily El
Khabar as saying that Sarkozy was brought to power by a "Jewish lobby
that has a monopoly on French industry." Abbas also mentioned Sarkozy's
"roots," an apparent reference to the French president's maternal
grandfather, who was Jewish. The flap comes as Sarkozy is preparing to
visit Algeria next week. Relations between the two countries have been
strained in recent years, particularly since France's parliament passed
a law in 2005 noting the "positive" effects of colonialism.
> More
U.S. Business likes Sarko
IHT. Nov. 28, 2007
American business loves French President Nicolas Sarkozy, according to
a survey of U.S. investors in France, which showed that 83 percent
think the new president will have a positive impact on foreign
investment. The poll by consulting firm Bain and Co. for the American
Chamber of Commerce, approved of Sarko’s reforms including the creation
of a more flexible single work contract and a French-version of the
U.S. small business act, designed to help budding entrepreneurs.
> More
Books: All About Sarkozy
Times Literary Supplement. November 28, 2007
A bushel of French books analyse the Sarkozy phenomenon. Who is the
ruthless, ambitious, conflict-loving “political warrior” who has
pledged to impose on France a business model of the state, with low
taxation, reduction of the size and scope of the public sector, and
comprehensive deregulation as the key objectives? Is he a sincere
patriot, or just a businessman on a colossal ego trip?
> More
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