French press review 8 February

by Molly Guinness

Article published on the 2010-02-08 Latest update 2010-02-08 11:12 TU

As the Six Nations rugby tournament begins Le Monde takes the view that it's better to know your enemy. It has a full-page interview with the English rugby hero Jonny Wilkinson. Did you know that Wilkinson takes an interest in theoretical physics? He also speaks perfect French. There is an angelic picture of Wilkinson: he looks as if he is listening with rapt attention to a lecture on the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics, or something.

Le Figaro has a feature on the wise men of the constitutional court. Three new members will be named by the end of the month. These sages check new laws to make sure they are constitutionally sound.

And get ready. Soon you will be able to watch their deliberations live on the internet. "Imagine us sitting there under the eye of the cameras," says one. "We won't feel that comfortable even when they're turned off."

 

Another says they all make it a point of honour to disappoint the authorities who appoint them in order to show their independence.

 

Figaro says the world of the wise men is a strange one, a bit like an English club. The wise men are worried they will lose this ambience.

 

On Le Monde's comment pages, writer and lawyer Jean-Paul Carminati uses the French Elvis to satirise the vexed public debate on national identity. Johnny Hallyday started his life as Jean-Philippe Smet. Johnny Hallyday is hardly an appropriate pseudonym for France's national treasure. No, François Vacances would have been much more suitable.

 

Catholic La Croix says in an editorial that the national identity debate should not be dropped completely despite the shambles of Eric Besson's attempt.

The terms should be changed and it must not be reduced to a nostalgia about an Eternal France. It starts the ball rolling yet again by asking seven expatriots to explain what Frenchness means to them.

Libération reminds us that it's not just Jacob Zuma who indulges in polygamy. It even happens in France. According to one man, who is in possession of three wives, the family allowance provided by the state is the main reason polygamy is forbidden in France.

Communist L'Humanité is delighted that more than two thirds of the French are on their side. According to a poll 69 per cent of France is in favour of the requisition of empty private housing. Better still, L'Humanité is ringing in a new dawn for the left - well, 84 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds are in favour of common properties.

The man in charge of the poll says if the left takes over the debate it will cause serious problems for the government in the upcoming regional elections.

The centrist Le Monde neatly summarises a problem in the socialist party in a cartoon on the front page.

Georges Frêche was expelled from the party a week ago for saying he would find it hard to vote for Laurent Fabius, because Fabius, who is of Jewish origin, does not have a catholic face. Martine Aubry, the first secretary of the socialist party, took a hard line. Unfortunately the voters did not.

She is depicted riding a pink elephant, desperately trying to batter down Frêche, a stubborn-looking tree. It's hard to tell how catholic the tree's face is.