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Jean and Nicolas Sarkozy, France Telecom suicides, Bengali-British comedy

by Tony Cross

Article published on the 2009-10-16 Latest update 2009-10-16 12:06 TU

Jean Sarkozy (L) with Elysée spokesperson David Martinon
(Photo: AFP)

Is France a banana republic? Readers are perplexed by the French President's son being tipped for a top job at just 23-years-old. Are the media encouraging copycat suicides among French telecoms workers? And a satisfied customer enjoys Bengali-British humour.

‘‘Like in many African nations........France = Banana Republic,’’ is the succinct response of "The Great Napoleon" from Australia to the announcement that President Nicolas Sarkozy’s son, Jean, may get a top job with a business development body.

The report has caused huge controversy in France but Ananta Paudel, a Nepali studying in Chennai, India, is in two minds about it.

“Appreciating aspect is, President Nicolas Sarkozy is handing nation to ‘New Man’ & to ‘new breed’ of Power that is ‘YOUNG’,” he writes. ‘‘Present leaders have barely taken courage for move of such pioneering political steps.

‘‘But concern still prevails whether he will be able to lead France either economical or political aspects ,either way he chooses or of course being a apolitical ‘Lawyer’.

‘‘What is his qualifications are prime concerns but has qualification of qualified person & ‘School of Qualified’ always have made perfect decession?’’

The people should decide, Ananta says, adding that democracy ‘‘is yet to be felt by people from different region of France’’.

Are we journalists responsible for making a spate of suicides at France Telecom worse?

‘‘Part of the problem will be the way the media are reporting this, as many suicides can be attribute to copy-cat behaviour from reading the media...(Source: World Health Organization),’’ writes Australian Bryzy Bryant.

Bangladeshi Ashik Eqbal Tokon was happy to listen to a recent Voices programme.

‘‘Thanks a lot for your program on ‘Humour and medicine don't always mix but British-Bengali stand-up comedian Paul Sinha is also a doctor and a quiz fan’," he writes. ‘‘As a Bangalee (Bengali) I am also proud to know that how he managed it...Thanks again for this article.’’

News about RFI

RFI fans in six more US cities can listen to our French-language service on their cellphones, thanks to an agreement with Audionow.

The cities are New Orleans (on 5042180121), Lafayette (on 3376064013), Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles and Atlanta, Georgia. The other numbers will be posted in our About us section later this week.

Staying with our French service, Nicolas Vescovacci of the Asia desk was one of the winners of the Bayeux prize for war reporting for his inquiry into the US attack on a village in Afghanistan which claimed a number of civilian lives.

You can find the report in French by clicking here.

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