Balancing act with the Dalai Lama

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung calls the top French politicians' handling of the visit by the Dalai Lama in France a "pitiable balancing act. ... President Sarkozy is not about to endanger nuclear deals with China, and has offered the Tibetan religious leader a meeting with his wife. And foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, who was always clear on what human rights were in the past, let it be known he had no time for the Dalai Lama. Of course, Ségolène Royal had no intention of losing this opportunity. The defeated socialist presidential candidate received the Dalai Lama, although her message had been entirely different during the election campaign. And all of a sudden perhaps Kouchner does have time. All the while the Dalai Lama smiles politely at this ignoble game. He is used to his presence giving politicians high blood pressure."

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