French press review 14 October 2009

by Matthew Kay

Article published on the 2009-10-14 Latest update 2009-10-15 06:59 TU

"From now on what you need to succeed in France, is not to be born into the right family, but to work hard and prove yourself through study, work and merit."

Ok, any ideas who might have said this? A French revolutionary perhaps... or maybe Monsieur Bonaparte himself?

No, it was president Sarkozy unveiling yesterday new plans for secondary schools.

The quotation is splashed in thick print across the front page of this morning's leftist daily Libération.

Libé squeals this morning that Sarko is in no position to be giving lessons like this when his son Jean, has been nominated, sorry voted, to the top job at one of the most important business districts in Europe, La Defense.

The paper's editorial says that for the last 24 hours the government has been forced into lies and self justification of the appointment of the 23 year old student.

For the editor there is only one word for the appointment and that's nepotism.

If you look at Right winger Le Figaro, while all this hoo-ha is unfounded (Sarko Junior clearly deserves this elected position we can read), it's making majority MPs a little nervous to say the least.

Many among their ranks fear that this could spark a more generalised anti-Sarkozy backlash among the electorate.

Daddy lept to the la defense of his mop-topped sprog yesterday in front of a group of journalists, dismissing the buzz as media hype...

"Yesterday you were all lapping up the Frederic Mitterrrand scandal," Sarko is quoted as saying, "it's good, it's normal. You follow scandals, and me, I follow reforms and fix problems."

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In communist l'humanité there is the story of undocumented migrant workers who, since monday morning, have occupied the building of the Nation Federation of Public Works.

The workers, mostly from West Africa, are protesting because they have virtually no rights despite having jobs and paying their taxes in France.

One of the men interviewed in the paper says they'll stay there for months if necessary. But they will have to start collecting donations so they can eat.

This is the second time that the group of immigrants has taken over a building, in spring 2008 scores of them moved into the headquaters of the workers' union the CGT.