France succumbs to yellow vestsIt's always impressive how quickly France adopts a fashion. One day no-one is wearing ballerine shoes, then everyone is (à la Carla Bruni). We are now in the midst of a new sartorial craze -- le gilet jaune, or the... Rough justice for French journalist and pilotThe subject today is the abuse of power by French police and judges. Two lurid examples have made the headlines for different reasons. One involves a journalist and the other a recreational pilot. Since I am both, I of course... Englishman pocketed French royal diamondA lump of lead from a dusty drawer in a Paris museum has enabled French experts to solve a long-standing mystery. The size of a pigeon's egg, the piece turned out to be a casting of the legendary Blue Diamond,... Matisse reaches owner 70 years after Nazi theftSince the post on Vichy France is still stirring debate here, it's worth reporting a little ceremony in Paris today that showed how France has not forgotten the war. This painting by Henri Matisse was handed over by Christine Albanel,... Ségolène loses again but fights onMessage de Ségolène Royal, le 25 novembre 2008 Take a look at this video and you will see why the French Socialist party is in big trouble. The smiling woman promising victory is Ségolène Royal, the loser in a vicious... French broadcasters strike against "TV Sarkozy"Back in President de Gaulle's days, France's only television channel sent its news scripts to the Information Minister for clearance before broadcast. Memories of the old ORTF, the 1960s state broadcaster, are stirring today as staff at France Télévisions have... The top 13 French wishes for a happier life It is a wintery Monday morning. The French Socialist party is tearing itself to pieces and President Sarkozy is down at the Elysée palace trying to persuade a reluctant Angela Merkel to spend German money on rescuing the sinking European... Royal fails to take French Socialist party but fights on It was a wild and crazy night for the French Socialist party. The final duel for the leadership between two sister enemies turned into an inconclusive brawl. There is blood on the floor this morning but no new chief. Martine... High-cost ring erased from minister's fingerIt's hard not to feel sorry for Rachida Dati, the Justice Minister and glamorous protegée -- at least until now -- of Nicolas Sarkozy. Dati, who is expecting a baby in a few weeks time, is unpopular with just about... Carla Bruni charms US as Sarkozy turns away Here is Carla Bruni doing her bit on David Letterman's show in New York on Tuesday night. She also appeared on the NBC Today breakfast show (watch here). Madame Sarkozy is promoting her latest song album but she is more... The world's top 100 films -- a French list If you are weary with lists that rank Titanic or Harry Potter among the highest works of art, you may be comforted by a league table of great films that came out in France this week. A jury of 76... Débâcle as women duel over French opposition After a weekend playing statesman in Washington, President Sarkozy must be toasting the Socialist party today. France's main opposition group spent the past three days tearing itself to pieces over a new leader. They gathered in Rheims, the champagne capital,... Finessing the nuances of FrenchPurists here have jumped on my headline "la belle France" over the post on wind farms. The French don't say that, I was told. So let's be pedantic and look at the odd things that happen when one language borrows... How Sarkozy saved Georgian president's private parts We heard a little drama on France Inter's breakfast radio this morning. Mikhail Saakashvili, the President of Georgia, was making a passionate case against Russia when they read out to him the following exchange between Vladimir Putin and Nicolas Sarkozy.... Wind power blights la belle FranceWhen you think of the care that France lavishes on its landscape, it's surprising that so little has been done to control the proliferation of ugly wind farms. Rather belatedly, a small revolt is now brewing against what the opponents... France remembers the Great War[update: Sarkozy ceremony story here] The Prince of Wales is dining with President Sarkozy at the Elysée Palace tonight ahead of tomorrow's 90th anniversary of Armistice Day. We are taking a train in the early morning to watch them mark... The Obama effect and why François becomes MohammedIn Sarcelles, a northern suburb, I walked through a crowd of black children yesterday who were arguing about which of them was "le plus Obama" -- the most like Obama. As it has done all over Europe, the election of... Less sexy fails to help French news starIt's pure coincidence that I'm coming back to the matter of age. Look at these before-and-after shots of the makeover of Laurence Ferrari. She is the news presenter who holds the star slot at Tf1, the leading French channel. The... Happiness starts at 60 for France. It's only a couple of days since we looked at France's attachment to well-paid early retirement. Today, the French approach has been bolstered by a new study from the national statistical institute. This found that the French are happier in... Bonjour 'Barak' -- France loves America againIt's been a while since France went so crazy over the United States. Decades at least and perhaps not since John Kennedy's days in the early 1960s. The pleasure and admiration today over the election of Barack Obama is genuine.... French left resists work after 65 Work is unpleasant and you are should be allowed to escape it as soon as possible. I am simplifying a little, but an episode this week shows that this thinking is still very much alive in France. The trouble began... Chinese art drives painters from Montmartre If you brave the tourist crowd to visit Montmartre, you can get the impression that there is not much real art around the legendary painters' quarter of Paris. The lanes are full of kitschy prints and hawkers peddle cheap drawings... The French art of boar huntingAutumn is always lovely in the Cévennes. The chestnut forests turn a spectacular orange, mushroom pickers turn up from the towns and gunfire echoes around the hills much of the week. It's la saison de la chasse -- the hunting... Sarkozy, the natural leader of EuropeListening to the crackly radio in the Cévennes hills this morning, I heard President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela congratulating Nicolas Sarkozy on his enlightened leadership. It seems that Sarkozy's recent self-appointment as the strongman of a new protective Europe has... Vichy strives to shed its wartime stain Readers here may remember the episode from Fawlty Towers, the BBC comedy series, in which Basil warned his hotel staff how to deal with German guests: "Whatever you do, don't mention the war." He then ignored his own advice. I'm... American wit sweeps French box office France is flocking to the delightful tale of a seductive charmer who takes on two young mistresses and lands in a tangle with his beautiful wife. I'm not talking about Dominique Strauss-Kahn, though the exploits of le French lover of... Voodoo doll irks Sarkozy Nicolas Sarkozy is an ace lawyer but you have to wonder why he is so quick to sue in defence of his dignity. Last week, Sarko started proceedings against the former chief of the police intelligence service for circulating tales... Thieves pinch from Sarkozy's bank account As we have seen, President Sarkozy has been winning praise in France for what is seen as his masterful handling of the banking crisis. But his promise to guarantee the deposits of his citizens, has not extended to his own... Expensive one-night stand for French world finance chief"Quel con" translates into polite English as 'what a fool'. That's the expression that many in France are applying to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the talented and popular Socialist who has made his mark lately in Washington as boss of the International... It's time for revolution, says French leftwing star With capitalism near the rocks -- at least in a widespread French view -- it seemed a good time to check in with France's leading advocate of old-style revolution. Olivier Besancenot, the popular young Trotskyite and former presidential candidate, has... Sarkozy over-reacts to French anthem incident It's not often that I cheer the leader of the French Communist party. But Marie-George Buffet hit the nail on the head this morning with her sensible view of an unhealthy fuss which blew up yesterday over the behaviour of... The American party is over for champagne Various barometers can be used to track the world's economic mood, from hamburger consumption (up when times are hard) to women's hemlines (down). Champagne sales must be one of the more reliable indicators, so it's no surprise that the producers... Man and eagle soar over the French AlpsHave a look at the video below. If you love birds, flying or mountains, it's impossible not to be moved. It's a report from France 2 television on a flight last Friday by Sherkan, an American bald eagle from the... Sarkozy calms the crisisFrance and much of Europe is saluting Nicolas Sarkozy today. Gordon Brown, the unloved British Prime Minister, is also winning praise. Even François Hollande, the Socialist opposition leader, paid the French hyper-president compliments today on the energy with which he... Literature and Medicine: A Nobel week for FranceTwo major Nobel prizes in one week is not bad for a country that is anguishing about its cultural decline. France has just pulled it off with the literature award for its novelist JMG le Clézio after Luc Montagnier and... France remembers Jacques BrelThere is an excuse today for some musical nostalgia. Jacques Brel died exactly 30 years ago. Most people reading this blog will need no introduction. But I'll provide a little since some otherwise well-educated colleagues in London told me that... Flying down the Champs ElyséesNo, France has not moved its rocket launchpad from Guyana to the heart of Paris. The Ariane European space vehicle is being displayed in the middle of the Champs Elysées as part of a spectacular celebration of France's first 100... The high life with Nicolas and CarlaNicolas Sarkozy had a hard time in Normandy yesterday trying to convince workers at a Renault car factory that he was a regular guy who understood their fear of losing their jobs. That might be because of photographs such as... France and England: vive la différence!It is refreshing to step out of France for a weekend in England because you are reminded how different life still is on each side of the waterway that separates the old rivals. Here are a few notes. Little will... Europe at odds as Sarkozy leads financial rescue You can understand why Nicolas Sarkozy may be feeling frustrated. Since the start of the latest round of the credit crisis, France's hyperactive president has thrown himself into the fray with relish. Crisis management is one of Sarko's talents, as... France decodes Sarah PalinThis might be an exercise in what the French call "shooting at the ambulance", or kicking someone when they are down. But here's a look at the French reaction to Sarah Palin. Like the Gallic adoration of Barack Obama, the... British Afghan envoy sparks French stirSir Sherard Cowper-Coles, Britain's ambassador in Kabul, has a reputation for holding strong opinions and making them heard. He may not, however, have wanted his views on the state of the allied effort in Afghanistan to be published in a... Tax junk food, says French parliament When no blog topic leaps to mind, at least there is usually a new French tax to report. This year, we have had the fish tax, a two percent levy which is supposed to help fishermen but has put up... Ségolène rocks as Sarkozy turns left You remember Ségolène Royal, the Socialist candidate who was defeated by Nicolas Sarkozy in the run-off for the French presidency last year. Last night, Ségo relaunched her faltering run for the Socialist leadership with a bizarre show at a Paris... Flying the Channel with the human jetA small black shape dropped into sight in my aeroplane's windscreen as we circled high over Calais in a brilliant blue haze after lunch today. Yves Rossy had just leaped from the safety of his jump plane. Following behind, we... Fog delays Channel flight by Swiss birdmanRegulars here may remember Yves Rossy, the Swiss airline pilot who has turned himself into the world's first human jet. I spent the day with him today at Calais as he prepared to strap on his wings and become the... France plays up the bluesPerhaps it's the onset of autumn, but sometimes it seems that France almost enjoys bringing itself down. But the gloom should be taken with a pinch of salt. The French enjoy life more than they let on; being negative is... France agonizes over Afghan warHow do you run a military campaign in the age of cell phones, the internet and media emotion ? The difficulty of doing so is being illustrated in France as the Parliament votes today on the continuing deployment of French... French wine faces internet blackoutTake a good look. Henri Matisse's painting and many like it could soon be banned from the internet, at least in France. That might sound like a joke, but if the health lobby has its way, images of wine or... Sarkozy retreats on picnics; Socialists miss the boatHere is an update on Edvige and the picnic tax -- subjects of posts here in the past two weeks. Both have just been dumped by President Sarkozy after they stirred a public fuss. Data on sexual orientation, health and...
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