Cut back on the guards, French watchdog says.
France’s state auditors have blown the whistle on one of the perks enjoyed by France’s power elite: police bodyguards. In its latest attempt to curb the tax-funded high life of the governing class, the Cour des Comptes complained about the… Read More
Old graft washes over Sarkozy
In some countries, a head of state would face trouble if his name emerged in a judicial investigation involving millions of euros of illicit funds and a bomb attack that killed 14 people. It’s not like that in France. Recent… Read More
French teachers resist de Gaulle
Was Charles de Gaulle a literary genius whose oeuvre is fit to stand alongside Homer’s Odyssey? The masters of French education believe that he was and they have set a volume of his wartime memoirs for the baccalauréat exam. Leftwing… Read More
The Swiss champion and a magic bike.
After decades of using chemicals to win races, cyclists have found a new wheeze: motorised bikes. This Italian video has caused a sensation on the continent by showing how Fabian Cancellara, a Swiss cyclist, could have pulled off his two… Read More
One year on, suspicion lingers over Air France Flight 447
A year ago today, Air France flight 447 slammed belly first into the Atlantic ocean, killing all 228 on board. Their families and friends gathered in Paris this morning for ceremonies in the Parc Floral and Père Lachaise cemetery. Many… Read More
France’s eloquent prophet of doom.
France lost its duel with the Anglo-Saxons for supremacy centuries ago. It is now a third-rate power, condemned to sink into race-driven civil war. That is not a line from a Frog-bashing website or the French ultra-right. It’s the apocalyptic… Read More
France pillories World Cup squad …before it loses
You almost feel sorry for Raymond Domenech, the football manager who is about to lead his team to the World Cup final in South Africa. Most of France expects them to lose and he is already beyond disgrace. It’s difficult… Read More
France to labour longer
After weeks of evasion, denials and leaks, President Sarkozy’s government has finally come clean. It is planning the unthinkable. It is… gulp….aiming to raise the French retirement age from 60 to as high as 63 years of age. A ministry… Read More
Farming the Champs Elysées
If you live in France you have probably already seen the pictures of the avenue des Champs Elysées decked out as a farm. It’s an impressive spectacle, designed by the young farmers’ union to underline home France’s traditional tie to… Read More