Main focus of Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Sarkozy addresses the French parliament

For the first time since 1875 a French president has delivered an address in person to the country's parliament. In his speech at Versailles palace on Monday Nicolas Sarkozy announced a series of economic and domestic policy reforms. Among other things he said the Muslim burka was "unwelcome on French soil". The European press comments on the controversial speech.

Frankfurter Rundschau - Germany

In his address to parliament in Versailles France's head of state Nicolas Sarkozy spoke out against Muslim women fully covering themselves with the burka. The left-liberal daily Frankfurter Rundschau writes: "With his inflammatory speech in which he said the burka - and by extension those who wear it - were 'not welcome' in France President Sarkozy totally overreacted. If he wants to fight against the degradation of women there are many other different approaches to doing so. Sarkozy doesn't have to worry about laicism, the separation of church and state is beyond question in France, and the headscarf ban which was introduced five years ago hasn't met with any opposition worth mentioning. A cautious approach is called for when tackling the burka issue, not provocation. Hopefully the parliamentary committee dealing with the matter will also reach this conclusion." (24/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Religion, » Migration, » Integration, » Weltanschauung, » France
All available articles from » Sabine Hamacher

The Guardian - United Kingdom

In his blog for the left-liberal daily The Guardian Stuart Jeffries criticises Nicolas Sarkozy's attacks on the Muslim burka. Sarkozy had expressed the view in his speech in Versailles that the burka "deprives women of their identity": "He would have done better to hold his tongue, and instead reflect on that passage in the Philosophy of Right in which Hegel distinguishes between abstract and concrete freedom. The former means the freedom to do whatever you want, which, as you know, is the basis of western civilisation and why you can choose between 23 different kinds of coffee in your local cafe, or 32 different kinds of four-inch wedges the glossies tell you look sexy this summer but in none of which you can walk comfortably. Such is the freedom of late capitalism, which seems to systematically strive to deprive us of an identity that we might construct ourselves. For Hegel this isn't real freedom, because our wants and desires are determined by society. By those lights, a western fashion victim is as much a sartorial prisoner as a woman in a burka." (23/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Philosophy, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Stuart Jeffries

Cinco Días - Spain

"He has missed his moment," comments Pierre Briançon in the Spanish business paper Cinco Días about French President Nicolas Sarkozy's speech before the two chambers of parliament: "Instead of explaining how he plans to return to budgetary discipline once the crisis has ended he conveyed the impression that he's not interested in the issue. Sarkozy mentioned some truly picturesque ideas. First of all he seemed to get deficit and expenses mixed up with each other, making a strange distinction between 'bad' deficits caused by unproductive public expenditure, deficits resulting from the recession and deficits that 'help finances and important investments in the future'. But from an economic point of view all expenses have to be financed by taxes or loans. France's public deficit will reach seven percent of GDP this year, and Sarkozy has explained that that figure won't change in the short term." (24/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Tax Policy, » France
All available articles from » Pierre Briançon

Le Figaro - France

The conservative daily Le Figaro praises the reforms announced by Nicolas Sarkozy in Versailles: "Nothing will remain as it was. With one sentence the president has set a deadline in Versailles. He sketched with undeniable foresight the new world which will issue forth from the economic, ecological and social tsunami which is as bizarre as it is unheard-of. Sarkozy's vision of this new world is based on a bold wager by focusing on investment and a new method for the head of state, namely rallying forces on all sides. He will prioritise education, control health spending, reform pensions, introduce a carbon tax and profit sharing, reindustrialise the manufacturing sector and restructure local communities. ... Taken together, this immense catalogue of reforms introduced to the roll of a drum is a bold initiative." (23/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » France
All available articles from » Etienne Mougeotte

NRC Handelsblad - Netherlands

In his speech to both chambers of parliament French President Nicolas Sarkozy defended the country's high budget deficit of seven percent, arguing that the economic crisis renders budget curtailments impracticable. The liberal daily NRC Handelsblad points to the huge contrast with Germany, which is stressing strict budgetary discipline: "The truth lies somewhere in the middle. The crisis is so serious that enforcing budgetary discipline too early can nip economic recovery in the bud. But if the state's finances are in disequilibrium for too long they can sow the seeds for a new crisis, whether by allowing the debt burden to get out of hand, through rising inflation, or a combination of both. France and Germany are not seeking a middle path. The rift between the two at the heart of the Eurozone presents a potential risk for the common currency. If things continue, it will soon make a common monetary policy implemented by the European Central Bank as good as impossible." (24/06/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Germany, » France, » Europe

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