French press review 23 November 2009

by Marjorie Hache

Article published on the 2009-11-23 Latest update 2009-11-23 07:44 TU

French footballer Thierry Henri is still taking a prominent position in the French newspapers. Le Monde concentrates on what last week's France Ireland match didn't tell us, saying Henri's hand action has become even more infamous than Zinedine Zidane's headbutt during the 2006 World Cup final.

The French daily also comments on Henri's slow-to-come remorse as he waited for Fifa to say that a rematch was impossible before saying the fairest thing to do would be a rematch.

Henri is also on the cover of L'Equipe where he says he will not give up on his country. Apparently the top French football player was so upset by some of the comments that he's considered giving up on his career for about .... five minutes.

Fifa's decision does confirm one thing though: cheating is normal in football according Le Monde's Stéphane Mandard and what is most shocking is the lack of proper uproar. Furthermore the journalist questions how we can properly educate our children if we allow such behaviour in a popular sport.

Talking of Education .... French national identity is still a hot topic in the French dailies with head of the Socialist party Martine Aubry announcing in Grenoble at a congress for young socialists that President Nicolas Sarkozy was embarrassing France by opposing national identity to immigration. Economist Les Echos reports she also called for action against the exploitation of illegal immigrants by French companies.

L'Humanité is ironically headlining "The practical guide to xenophobia and anti- Republicism." The paper says they've got hold of the questionnaire Eric Besson, minister of Immigration and National Identity sent around to the French préfectures.

The questionnaire touches on the issue of how to integrate foreigners into the national community, how to deal with France's unease over its colonial past and how to avoid the arrival of illegal immigrants in France. Communist L'Humanité claims it is Sarkozy's goal to instigate perpetual fear of job loss, foreigners and crime in French people.

Le Figaro reports the far-right Front National vice president Marine Le Pen's opposition to the existence of dual nationality. She referred to young Maghrebans celebrating Algeria's qualification in the 2010 World Cup as proof that political integration had failed, saying all people wanted to do was take to the streets.

She believes Sarkozy 's debate on national identity will do nothing to solve the problem. She's also hoping her party will remain in eight regions during the second round of 2010 regional elections, something Sarkozy's UMP is worried about. Hopefully the Socialists will finally pull themselves together and not leave the opposition position to France's far right.