It's love, says Sarkozy

Nicolas Sarkozy was clearly enjoying himself when he held forth to us this morning in the regal surroundings of the Salle des Fêtes in the Elysée Palace. The occasion was his first grand news conference, a ritual invented by Charles de Gaulle in the early 1960s. If the shade of the austere old General was around the palace today, he would not have believed his ears.

Monsieur le Président was there under the chandeliers and gilded columns --   with his government and staff arrayed before him -- to review the state of the nation. He did that for most of the two-hour session, but he stopped the show with a review of his love life.  As expected, he could not resist confirming his romance with Carla Bruni, the supermodel who has swept him off his feet since late November. Marriage is in the air.

Read my report here and I'll add some thoughts. Sarko went public with his private life years ago, back when he showed off Cécilia and his family when he was Interior Minister. But for an old hand at Elysée conferences, it was extraordinary to hear the president chat about his girl friend on such a traditionally grand occasion. As Sarko said himself, it would have been unthinkable until now.

You may find him hard to take, but you have to admire Super-Sarko for his showmanship and powers of persuasion. Sometimes menacing, sometimes boyish and friendly, he has a way of boiling down argument to leave no room for disagreement.

"C'est absurde", he says as he knocks down an opposing view. It would have been absurd, he said, for him not to congratulate Vladimir Putin on his party's election victory since the world needs the Russian leader' help and no-one contests his popularity.

It's absurd, he argued, not to raise barriers to protect European industry from outside competition. It's absurd, he said, to criticise him for reforming too fast and then complain that he has not yet produced results.

Sarko's technique is that of the lawyer who boxes a witness into a logic that he constructs. If the media are having a field day with his love life, it is not because he flaunts anything but because they send cameras to follow his private outings, he said. "If you don't want to feel manipulated, don't send cameras."

Sarkozy's over-riding line remains the same. He is a straight talker, beholden to no-one, who practises what he preaches and takes responsibility for his government's acts, unlike all previous French presidents, he said. "If there is an error, I pay cash," he said, using the English word that was adopted as French ghetto slang.

Whatever happens, Sarko will force through his revolution on France. He has borrowed a new unifying theory -- a "policy of civilisation" -- to underpin the multiple reforms that he says are only just beginning. "Everything is joined up. You have to change everything at the same time... to make France a young and modern country," he said.   

The trouble is that the rhetoric is wearing a little thin eight months into the presidency and with little sign of the promised rebirth of the economy. How about that key promise to put more spending money in French pockets, he was asked. "It's absurd to reduce everything to purchasing power," he replied. "What do you want me to do? Empty state coffers that are already empty?"  The problem is simple, he said. "France doesn't work enough while the other countries work more".

It was almost painful to watch the faces of Sarkozy's ministers as they listened for signs of the monarch's approval or disfavour during his Fidel Castro-length performance. François Fillon, the Prime Minister, glowed when the boss repeatedly cited him. Jean-Louis Borloo, the Environment Minister, squirmed when the boss reprimanded him for airing the idea of a new "social" tax last year. The high civil servants also shifted in their seats when Sarko went into his riff against the state elite, "who emerge from the same schools and even dress the same and have the same manner".

And you remember France 24, the news network that President Chirac launched just over a year ago to compete in English with CNN and the BBC. Sarko said he was killing it off, at least in English. It made no sense for France to broadcast in English, he said, as if the point was obvious. France will have a new unified service for broadcasting abroad, to be called Label France Monde. I feel sorry for all my English-speaking colleagues who were hired to serve Chirac's prestige project.

Sarko knows when not to break tradition. At the end of his session, at mid-day, he still provided the champagne and fine canapés that we expect from the president's New Year session with the press. 

Comments

[Daniel Strohl]

Charles,

You shoot faster than the Prussians : two articles within a few hours ! Compliments !

To everybody :
What struck me this morning is that some journalists saw the flaws in their oriented questions fly back towards them like boomerangs ... They were caught pretty well off guard. This was the case notably of Mr. Joffrin, the rédacteur en chef of Libération, who seemed to be "rouge de confusion". But may be I am wrong - I am slightly colour blind...

A difference which struck me also, if I compare this press conference with analog press conferences hold by the last two predecessors of Mr.Sarkozy, is that if one reads the answers of the latter, one may more or less reconstitute the questions asked by the journalists.

This was most of the time not possible with his a.m predecessors. The difference is that may be Mr.Sarkozy has a higher opinion of the intelligence of his compatriots.

[QCD]

You old curmudgeon Charles: you could have written in your main report "fascinated, appalled and delighted". Nicolas Sarkozy's love life isn't doing the country any harm. If it fuels his appetite for reform, so much the better. And he's obviously got his finger on the pulse: Jean-Louis Borloo was put back in his place. There's only one key to purchasing power: lower taxes and more effective government.
For instance: why does have France have both a ministry for labour (travail) and a ministry for employment (emploi)?

[Daisy]

His arrogance and defensiveness reminds me of Donald Rumsfeld in the early days of the Iraq war. Rummy had the same combative manner of knocking back reporters' questions back at them. It wore thin very quickly and ended in tears.

[Valentin]

The difference of focus and content between this post and the corresponding Times' column strikes me as rather odd. I would think chit-chat is more fit to a blog and weight to the column, rather than the other way around :)

[You have a good point, Valentin. But that's the way our business works these days. CB]

[Actu75]

Sarko argues like a lawyer for sure. But never forgetting that after all he is Mr Number One and Only, he choses alternatively to act and talk fo the defense and the accusation. As Edgar Morin put it today there was more than ever a double face Sarko, nice guy/tough guy, protection/laissez faire, populist talker/intellectual friendly and so on...
As for the Carlicia soap, judging by the constant news hierarchy of the Times (today's web) and others quality papers, no worry if religion belief is fading , old Europe definitely has found a new people's opium precisely in the "peoplisation" of politics.

[jorg andersen]

I hate resorting to national stereotypes, but this is so French. Straight back to Louis XIV and the Sun King's divertissement with his court. Amazing.

[Valentin]

This "court" are free, can send out paparazzi, or not, can go to a press conference, or not, and after they can think what they please, and can write what they think.

Sarko has that cheapness in him and want nothing but power and woman. He is indeed despiable.

[Juliette]

@ Jorg: this is exactly what Laurent Joffrin of Libération suggested until it was shot back in his face.

[azloon]

France needs to have it's"cage rattled."

can anyone do a better job than sarko?

we read all these comparisons to past presidents and their supposed superior manners/methods in governing.

if those manners/methods worked so well, we wouldn't have sarko.

if sarko didn't exist, he would have to be invented.

[Rocket]

Charles you said

"Sarko's technique is that of the lawyer who boxes a witness into a logic that he constructs."

Well maybe if the French press wasn't so damn complacent they would have cross examined him which is another perfectly normal legal tactic. No one challenged him on anything or thought to deconstruct his logic. They took the first answer and sat down. Much the same way in vendor client relationships in France.

Other than that I like this new style but it needs to be democratized. Plus... 2 hours!!!!!

"It's absurd to reduce everything to purchasing power,"

No need to be Alan Greenspan to figure this one out.

Of course because there was nothing he could mandate in the first place anyway. He got emotional and came up with the only solution that French/other politicians know.... PROMISES, The opium of the people and a diversionary tactic away from the unpopular strikes at the time. More government meddling rather than letting the market work it out. Now he realizes that he can't wish purchasing power on the nation so he is not going to bring up his "gaffe"

Plus ou est ce point de croissance qu'il allait chercher?

The end of France 24 English.

It's about time and not because I'm waving the CNN flag. If France 24 had been able to have people on the ground the same way as the BBC or CNN or even Al Jazeera than it could have been a decent station, but when Bhuto was killed it took them at least 30 minutes behind the above three networks before they could go live with the special newsroom coverage. In the meantime it was that damn ticker at the bottom of the screen. CNN, BBC had people on the ground reporting with a network of independents and I-reporters and France 24 had nothing except some cultural show that ran to it's end. In today's world people want their news as it happens. Many thanks to Chirac for once again wasting taxpayers money embarking on an ill conceived project that was in reality just a showing of the flag.

"You may find him hard to take, but you have to admire Super-Sarko for his showmanship and powers of persuasion."

I once had a French friend who used to tell me how her ex husband could wrangle money out of just about anyone and how he was so persuasive. Well, I just told her that gullibility knows no bounds and some people/cultures are more prone to it than others. Usually these cultures are gullible by obligation and happen to be very socialistic in nature.

[Lily]

“It was almost painful to watch the faces of Sarkozy's ministers as they listened for signs of the monarch's approval or disfavour during his Fidel Castro-length performance.”

I watched it, too. Thank you, Charles, for telling us about your personal observations: the atmosphere that you experienced and your glimpses at ministers’ and high-level officers’ reactions that the cameras didn’t show.

The introductory speech seemed endless, indeed. –

* Sarko’s rhetoric was excellent; most questions lacked sharp wit and intelligence, though.

* It is really silly to ask recently elected President Sarkozy about the ‘monarchie élective’. – This is a question that should be discussed among compatriots who are not in power or within the opposition and not be asked the one legally in power! What was he supposed to answer to that one? – “This is a good point. I will humble myself and cut my power in half!” (?!) – Him who so much “aime AGIR”… -

He spoke of some more ‘framework’ (encadrement) of Presidential functions which sounded rather like a solid and affirmative framework than one that would curtail his powers.

* Sarkozy emphasized diversity, evoked the opening of Mosques – wished for reciprocity (mutual religious tolerance) and called for reconciliation. That sounded a lot like ‘religious freedom’!

And then there was affirmative action – the French way. “Egalité” is taking on a different meaning.

* What do I mean by journalist’s poor rhetoric? – They should learn to catch up on Sarko, be quicker than him. He was obviously well-prepared for the questions he was asked.

Instead of asking him about marriage, I would not have played into his vanity but asked him why his current girl-friend always appeared as tall as him or smaller than him on press photos while she is said to be taller than him. (Well, the press wouldn’t necessarily ask this question..)

‘May we please ask transparency on your friend Bolloré’s business activities? ‘

(Re: the President speaking to the Parliament!): ‘Is there any other European head of state that speaks to his own country’s parliament who is as powerful as are you WITHOUT speaking to Parliament?’

‘Do you think that the press should be independent from political interests?’

‘Should public radio and television be protected from political interests?’

‘How is France expected to overcome its differences with the ‘British’ approach concerning the demand for national protectionism in favour of a big European market (that is favoured by GB)?’

‘How do you weigh human rights with regards to international diplomacy and national economic interests?’

‘Please define freedom of press!’

etc.

Did anybody ask whether Hortefeux was going to be marked upon his ability to expulse a given number of ‘sans papiers’ (??) – What does anybody expect Monsieur le President to do with this question other than throw it back at the one asking?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“A difference which struck me also, if I compare this press conference with analog press conferences hold by the last two predecessors of Mr.Sarkozy, is that if one reads the answers of the latter, one may more or less reconstitute the questions asked by the journalists.
This was most of the time not possible with his a.m predecessors. The difference is that may be Mr.Sarkozy has a higher opinion of the intelligence of his compatriots.” (Daniel Strohl)

Daniel,

I guess that there had been a time when Presidents were questioned more aggressively, if and when journalists were given the possibility. The habit of Sarkozy’s predecessors to not directly answer a given question demonstrated arrogance and lack of respect. They sought (cheap) protection from criticism. Some (French) journalists have maybe lost the ability to ask surprising and investigative and revealing questions. They will learn, and once they’ll master the fine art of asking (again), Sarko will either be too busy for frequent press conferences or find other ways to not have the media interfere with his ‘own way’ and drive for action.

[Claire]

I voted for him but now and thoroughly sick o' Sarko.

He is a vulgarian - vain, insecure, needy, boastful.

I hope he'll be replaced by Delanoe.

[Guest]

Contemplating marrying a pop singing former model with a certain history? Oooooooooh for gawd's sake man find some sanity. Take your brains out of your underwear and lead the French back to glory as recompense or you'll be frog marched straight to the political guillotine.

[Dominique]

By the way, we learn Sarko was in hospitals last october..

hypocrisy anyone? Sarko not hidding things? pfff! All these heralding the superriority of the private life transparency ? where are they?

That is all fake! whether you like it or not, transparency does not exist. Neither in France, in UK nor in the US. People show what they want to show, hide what they want to hide.

And outing is a lost of freedom. In other words, the road toward the end of democracy.

Everyone knowing everything about anyone? barbary!

[Dominique]

Charles,

"“It was almost painful to watch the faces of Sarkozy's ministers as they listened for signs of the monarch's approval or disfavour during his Fidel Castro-length performance.”"

That is exactly what the socialist party (Vincent Peillon) said about it! did you take your card yet?

[christopher muir]

He's adept, energetic and crafty. He never tells lies! How fortunate for France to have found such an honest leader. Well, the world will see how successful he will have been in a year's time. Between then and now, French journalists should do courses in learning how to ask questions without making speeches. And I suspect that the President will have some very challenging scripts to write if he is to avoid telling untruths.

[qwerty]

The NOOS cable network was down the whole day yesterday, so impossible to follow the press conference except on the LCI website. Sheer sabotage. La résistance s'organise...

[John Gregory Flinn]

I saw part of his press conference and was struck how similar it was to the early ones Tony Blair used to hold. The vanity, triumphalism, arrogance and smart-alec replies of Sarkozy, the deference and almost sarkophantic - sorry, sycophantic attitude of most of the press journalists present were all familiar characteristics.

"It's absurd, he argued, not to raise barriers to protect European industry from outside competition."

Who is he talking for, the EU or France?
He appeared to make similar presumptions about the 35 hour week, purchasing power and France 24.
The proposed cancellation of which seems like spite to me and may reflect his limited linguistic apreciation (a second language is an insight into another culture).
France 24 may have its faults - a bit leftist - but it does promote the francophone perpective in a global media world dominated by anglo-saxon broadcasters.

At least we have seen some concrete movements about availability of basic public services during strikes, and Hortefleux may have 'expulsé' close to his quota of 'sans papiers'. But these are not 'rupture' only tidying up!

Can he be impeached?
I know the American president can be (and Clinton was), and I understood the American governmental system is based on the French.

[Rocket]

qwerty

when the NOOS network goes down be sure to reinitialize by either pulling the plug or turning off the box then turn back on. I have this problem sometimes and is usually solved in this way.

[Sigognac]

A few questions:
- why is Bruni nowadays referred to as a top model rather than a singer?
- Where questions vetted before the conference? (Mr Bremmer, you were there, did you receive a brief or had to follow any special format?)

[Probably because she is still known outside France as a model (supermodel in English -- top model is French). Her hit album went pretty much unnoticed outside the French and Italian-speaking world.

And no, questions were not vetted. Sarko chose the questioners he wanted from the crowd in front of him. He clearly planned his sarcastic ambush of Laurent Joffrin, the Editor of Liberation, the newspaper he hates the most. CB]

[qwerty]

thanks Rocket, but this time it was really NOOS: "nous procédons à des travaux d'amélioration dans votre zone". Tu parles. Without warning, too. Just like the cheminots in WWII.
Great term: "sarkophantic".
About the vetting of journalists, see petit reportage yesterday evening of the "Petit Journal" in the "Grand Journal" on Canal Plus. NOOS was back in working order by then.

[dot king]

[Sarko chose the questioners he wanted from the crowd in front of him.] CB
On last night's Grand Journal it showed the team of people whose job it was to make sure only approved or pre-selected journalists were passed the microphone; maybe they had a list to adhere to. Sarko made it look spontaneous, but it wasn't, there was a girl wth a microphone crawling around amongst the audience, handing it to those pointed out bt the team crouching by the side of the ministers, out of site of (the other) cameras.

[It wasn't quite like that. Franck Louvrier, Sarko's media manager, was lining up the questioners that Sarkozy wanted. That's how it's often done on these occasions, in Downing Street and the White House too. Several microphones were being passed around, hence people asking questions at the same time. CB]

[Brooke01]

I for one am really sorry that the English language version of France 24 will be disappearing. It is aired by the Irish-language channel in Ireland at graveyard times, and presents a far more thoughtful, in depth and broad view of the 'news' than its main competitors, being much more like reading a quality newspaper, I'd say, than the others. Congratulations to it for not breaking off its coverage of the cultural programme after Bhutto's assassination ; is it really so terrible to wait half an hour for full information on something that we already know has taken place?

[Mauvezin]

I voted for him but now and thoroughly sick o' Sarko.......
....I hope he'll be replaced by Delanoe.
*****************
Claire
Ce serait tomber de Charybde en Scylla !
Ni l'un ni l'autre ne sont de réels hommes d'Etat.
Ce sont deux aventuriers , à demi francais et se servant de la France pour leur seul avantage.
Belle et Bonne Année

[dot king]

"Well maybe if the French press wasn't so damn complacent they would have cross examined him which is another perfectly normal legal tactic. No one challenged him on anything . . ." (Rocket)
They couldn't challenge or cross-examine because the microphone was taken away from them as soon as they'd asked their question, by the crawling-around young lady mentioned in my other post.
It's quite usual in French public meetings to have someone on standby with a microphone to pass it to anyone who indicates they want to make a point, who usually him/herself passes it to the next person, at least keeping it until they've had a right to reply or ask a supplementary question.
I had thought this practice must be something a local level only, small budget and so on, but I see at the Elysée it's used as a tactic to make sure His Majesty has the last and only word.
Not really in the democratic spirit, eh?
Bel Esprit, divine right, absolutisme - think of all those aristos who could have kept their heads!

[dot king]

[Several microphones were being passed around, hence people asking questions at the same time. CB]

Ah yes, I watched most of the live televised broadcast and noticed that sometimes two people spoke at once, that explains it.
But am I right about the micro being taken away to avoid reply? It still amounts to stage-managing, even so.

[thinknoworpaylater]

Well we ARE getting the predicted flavour of pres. Sarko now! - Brookedi - Iagree about France 24. Ashort-sighted action by Sarko which will not improvethe understanding of non-french speakers of current complex French issues. There have been some quite good discussions there. It looks like some petty nationalist gesture. Dot Kings point about how things are managed at Sarko press conferences is not controverted by the observation that it happens elsewhere.Its still bad (and bad faith).

[colin grayson]

I admit I looked forward eagerly to france 24TV in english ....but soon gave up watching it as quite useless

sarko must realise that few continue to watch the english language version ....question is , how many will continue to watch in french ?

[Ros]

Querty
Another good way of reinitialising Noos is to put on the Canl+ channel (even if you only have it crypted)& only then put the box off and then on again.

[Ros]

Dominique
He was only having serious trouble with his tonsils - don't let's start exaggerating!

[Daniel Strohl]

Thinknoworpaylater,

"It looks like some petty nationalist gesture".

Sarkozy said that "les caisses sont vides" (one could say more plainly that the state is broke and furthermore heavily indebted). May be this is the primary and real reason why France24 is now "reduced" to French only. To run networks with the same extended coverage as CNN, BBC or Al Jazeera (as quoted by Rocket) costs lots of money. It costs even much more if the network runs in two languages.

I do not really believe it to be a "petty nationalist gesture". This would not fit with "Sarko l'Américain".

Dot King,

"It still amounts to stage-managing, even so."

May be. If it actually is the case, it was a superfluous precaution due to the level of some journalist's questions. Sarkozy had two or three times a look at his watch towards the end of the press conference - this was may be not very polite, but perfectly understandable and, at least in my opinion, fully excusable.

Lily,

"The habit of Sarkozy’s predecessors to not directly answer a given question demonstrated arrogance and lack of respect".

Exactly.

With Mitterrand (one of the two presidents I was mentioning in my first post) , French journalists were very cautious and never asked undue questions.

I can remember only one exception.

Two journalists had got an interview at the Elysée Palast. The President was seated at his desk, and the two journalists in front of him. They started by asking questions about « les écoutes de l'Elysée » (see NOTE below). First Mitterrand tried to divert, but the two guys insisted « heavily ». Mitterrand then turned very pale and said : « If I had known that you would ask this type of questions, you would not have been invited. The interview if finished now. You may leave ! ».

And that was it. By the way, the two daredevils were not French, but French speaking Belgians ... After that, one wonders why French like to tell Belgian jokes (and, of course, the Belgians French jokes) ...

NOTE : Mitterrand had created a very active eavesdropping unit which was supposed to tap the phones of underground terrorists. Terrorists were hardly caught, but many phones were tapped, including those of numerous private persons (among others a well known actress), politicians, and even Edwy Plenel, the rédacteur en chef of « Le Monde » (this paper had not and still not has the reputation to be extreme-right...). One of the aims of the tappings was the protection of Mitterrand's (second) private life. The whole entreprise was of course totally illegal.

That is to say that some of our lesson-giving left leaning bloggers should be somewhat more circumspect.

[But am I right about the micro being taken away to avoid reply? It still amounts to stage-managing, even so.]

Dot King will say just about anything, even contradict Charles, a specialist of this kind of press conferences, to make her point about "staging".
I have rarely seen such a gross side-taking, such a shameless display of mauvaise foi.
Appalling.

[journo at France 24]

I am an anglo journalist at France 24. It hardly feels at this point that we are losing our jobs anytime in the immediate future. Sarko is manic and announces the end of government departments on a daily basis and it 90 percent of the time ends up simply being a mere destabilization "for the fun of it". But thank you Charles and your readers for the support. Sarkozy makes me yearn for the stability of a Murdoch! Never thought it possible.

[dot king]

Good morning anonymous critic - did you watch the broadcast? I don't criticise Charles, I asked him a question. I go to public political meetings and I see how things happen, I drew a comparison.
I think you must be Valentin, feeling piqued, but whoever you are, come out of the closet, it doesn't matter.
Mauvaise foi has more to do with anonymous sniping than with asking questions BTW.

[azloon]

sarko's 'candor' seems to go a bit far in discussing mitterand's modus operendi in the extramarital affair department (discussed in your timesonline story).

doesn't his newer, more open style speak for itself?

must he remind his subjects of past transgression of his predecessors?

CB, was there an unusual reaction in the news conference to sarko's bringing up the subject of mittereand's love life, or discussion afterwords?

isn't this common knowledge which would not have had to be mentioned by sarko to be obvious to almost everyone?

[christopher muir]

Journo -

I feel for you - why shouldn't France 24 trasmit in foreign languages? It seems like a silly sort of decision to go monolingual , but obviously there's an "agenda" behind the order. For a moment I thought that taking advertisements out of public broadcasting was a respectable idea. But then one realised that it would fill the coffers of the private stations. "Journo", why not try Slovenia radio, they have some English programmes, I gather.

[Brooke01]

Nice to hear that journo ; also it was true that France 24 really does present a Franco-centred view of foreign affairs, which is nice compared to the Anglo-Saxon we're all so used to : so more on the former French colonies/areas of influence, and more on Europe (both EU and individual countries. Please correct me if wrong, but I suspect it has a greater viewership in French than in English - I do remember the boss of it recently saying that it was doing very well, especially in the Middle East.

[thinknoworpaylater]

Dot King was still right to raise the point. The management of news(?) the control of the media - has been a topic in the U.K. university curriculum for thirty years. There are masses of books about it - principally by the Glasgow Media Group at Glasgow University. Great and courageous people whose careers didnt necessarily benefit (guess why). These guys (and dolls) spent hours analysing T.V. reports, attending press conferences etc. Not the most fun activity. Wake up - its already there anonymous. The point about bad faith (mauvaise foi) is that it pretends to offer truth (or conviction) while actually concealing or hiding its real position.

[Michel R, Londres]

Charles, I remember you were quite positively impressed by France 24 in your first posts about the then newly-launched channel. What were your feelings about the content quality of F24 afterwards? Do you think it's English version was successfull, both in terms of quality and viewership?

I personnaly think it would be a huge mistake to stop broadcasting in English, even with added subtitles (reading the news on TV is unbearable!). There are people in this world interested in a different perspective than the Anglo-Saxon media one, but we have to admit French is only understood by a very few people across the globe. This very short-sighted decision would damage French influence abroad amd put an end to the only positive legacy Chirac left us... But I hope Journo is right and this was just an "effet de manche"...

[I agree that dropping English and Arabic would be a disaster for France 24 for the reasons you say. On my opinion, the channel is a little lightweight and slow at times, mainly I think because of its limited resources, but it's a good antidote to the "Anglo-Saxon" behemoths. CB]

[dot king]

I wasn't aware of the existence of France 24, I don't have cable or satellite, but I'm often astonished when I speak to friends in the UK or even British friends here who only read the British press, how differently French news is reported.
So obviously, if France 24 is giving the world a French angle on French news, this can only be a good thing.
May it continue.

[dot king]

I wonder what "c dans l'air" will be discussing this evening? Better go and check it out.
I'm always intrigued to know how Yves Calvi gets from France Inter "Nonobstant" to Arte "c dans l'air" in the 10 minutes of "Un temps de Pochon".
Small heedless preoccupations . . .

[Valentin]

THINKNOWORPAYLATER:

"The management of news(?) the control of the media - has been a topic in the U.K. university curriculum for thirty years"

This is not what Dot said. (yes it was me, Valentin, I've nothing to hide).

Dot clearly said that Sarko people took microphones away so that people cannot reply to him.
She was struggling to find ill-will to Sarkozy even if Charles had told her that this is the custom in press conferences, and all journalists are aware of that.

I repeat such recklessness in pursuing a political figure is hardly seen, no matter how opposed you would be. You can be injust, but to the point of begging Charles to say that something was manipulated by the Monster President... Alors là !

[thinknoworpaylater]

Valentin -Dot Kings point was precisely that: Sarko takes a question throws back a reply (however inadequate) and then moves on to the next questioner leaving no possibility of a follow-up question. So, no matter how weak his reply, the journalist has no chance to pursue the point. Its just theatre, cinema, and even if it is commonplace it is still bad faith to pretend that it is all open free and transparent. C.B. already knows that these events are constructed. Noone is begging him to sy so. In my reference to Media StudiesI was just Iwas just saying to others on this comment that this phenomena and its purpose (evasion) have long been studied and analysed.

[Ros]

I agree with AZLOON - i remember someone saying a long time ago on this blog that Mitterand was trying to PROTECT his daughter's youth rather than hiding things up for himself.

[dot king]

Valentin, why do you think no-one pursued their question? Or asked a supplementary question? Or asked for clarification? Because as Charles said, there were several people handing microphones out - I saw one of them in action on a TV report, and I know that this is what happens in local public meetings.
These were journalists, Valentin.
Perhaps you think that journalists are all polite and respectful and like to be fobbed off with half an answer, or insults.
If this latter is true of you, then you are naïve (that's how we write it in English) naïf if you prefer.
I know you're feeling piqued with me, but no point in scraping the bottom of the barrel to try to get at me.
You might be wasting all that frustrated energy to no avail . . .
Or any number of possibilities.
I might not care what you think of me . . .
The possibilities are endless.

[Valentin]

Dot,
I'll tell you my little secret (but shhhttt): as a true sarko-diehard, I just lluvvv watching my dear President. When he speaks, I feed on his words. I'm his best fan. Or what does a true fan do? He tries to be with his idol. All the time. Or what is the best way for that, today? You guessed: INTERNET.

Well since you're such a fan yourself, it'll certainly thrill you to know that here:

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=NWsm4EKKcTQ&feature=related

you can find the WHOLE press conference of our hero, Nicolas.

Oh oh! And there you will see one Vanessa Schneider, from CAPA, if I'm not wrong.
She asks her question (about "le bilan") and then - AMAZING ! - having kept her mike (!!!!!) SHE ASKED A SECOND ONE: "Are you content". And our beloved President RESPONDED !!! He said: "est-ce que j'ai l'air d'être déprimé".
With that funny smile of his, half childish, half defiant (I would add: that you must love so much :D )

(but of course, you will say Vanessa was a Sarkofan herself, part of the Royal Court, that's why she was allowed; oh well; some people are never satisfied...)

[Valentin]

Anyway I can give you a thousand examples, and anyone could tell you (as Charles did) that there was no manipulation, no particular ill-will. You would still not have it. YOu would still beg Charles to give you SOMETHING to make you feel good in your hatred. You would still tell all your neighbours how the gangster president manipulated the press conference.

Oh well. Lefties. Same'ol, Same'ol.

[dot king]

"I'll tell you my little secret (but shhhttt): as a true sarko-diehard, I just lluvvv watching my dear President. When he speaks, I feed on his words. I'm his best fan."
Quite seriously, Valentin, those are the words of a member of a sect adoring the guru, or someone in love.
Ca se soigne de nos jours.

[dot king]

**"Are you content". And our beloved President RESPONDED !!! He said: "est-ce que j'ai l'air d'être déprimé".**
Well, Valentin, that really is an example of a fearless journalistic question and an honest, courageous, politically informative answer.
I'm impressed, no, really, really. You couldn't have picked anything better to illustrate your man.
So, you hung on every one of those words, did you?
Dot grows more impressed by the second . . .

[Valentin]

I remembered that passage, but if you look at the videos, you will certainly find 4 or 5 other examples of follow-up questions. There were quand même about 30 questions and 700 journalists !

So, like Charles also told you, there was no manipulation. Stop begging for help, you're simply wrong.

[Dominique]

Dot King, Valentin,

The truth is that real journalists were not at this press conference. Here were only those who want to "appear" as the one who raises a question.

15 minutes of fame...

[Dominique]

Dot King, Valentin,

The truth is that real journalists were not at this press conference. Here were only those who want to "appear" as the one who raises a question.

15 minutes of fame...

[dot king]

Tell me, Valentin, when you hang on His Words (note the resectful capitals), do you hang on one after the other, one at a time, or all at once, like a lifeline?

[Daniel Strohl]

Dot King,

"Quite seriously, Valentin, those are the words of a member of a sect adoring the guru, or someone in love".

May be you should try sometimes to read some of Valentin's sentences "au second degré". This is a "figure de style" used from time to time in educated French - may be it does not exist in scholarly English ...

[Daniel Strohl]

Dominique,

"The truth is that real journalists were not at this press conference".

The journalists present at the press conference will positively be flattered if they read this blog (I think that Charles' blog is well known in the French media and political world or, as Raymond Barre would have put it : dans le microcosme).

May be you will have got some new friends today ...

[dot king]

"So, like Charles also told you, there was no manipulation" (Valentin) nyah nyah nyah
This is getting tiresome, but Charles' words were "[It wasn't quite like that. Franck Louvrier, Sarko's media manager, was lining up the questioners that Sarkozy wanted . . ."
Now that doesn't say there was no manipulation, it rather suggests that there was, if you don't want to call it "manipulation", then fine, what do you want to call it? I called it "stage-managing" not "manipulation". Try to hijack the right words in future.

[dot king]

"May be you should try sometimes to read some of Valentin's sentences "au second degré". This is a "figure de style" used from time to time in educated French - may be it does not exist in scholarly English ..."

Daniel, this is unworthy of you.

[Valentin]

"May be you should try sometimes to read some of Valentin's sentences "au second degré""

Daniel, thanks for the support, Dorothy is no idiot, that's her way of countering my irony. As before, she pretends not understanding and takes it in "first degree".
Admirable tactics... en tout cas ce qui compte, c'est le fond du problème: y'a pas eu de manipulation, et je commence en avoir assez de ces incessantes calomnies.

[dot king]

"Daniel, thanks for the support, Dorothy is no idiot", (Valentin)

on another thread I have pointed out that Valentin curries favour with those he thinks he can get on to his side. See above.

After the insult on the other thread are you now trying to get back in my "good books"? See above.

Or do you have serious memory problems?

If I didn't take your words in 2è dégré, Valentin, it's because it was your usual adoring way of speaking of Your Lord, it didn't occur to me that you were anything but sincere. I don't use tactics, don't judge everyone else's way of discussing or expressing themselves by your own.
I have known people who were members of sects - they spoke of their gurus exactly as you speak of Sarkozy. Perhaps if you want to post in English, you should master some of its subtleties, it doesn't always translate successfully.

[Valentin]

Dot,

If indeed you took my post "au premier degré", pointed by exclamation signs, false amazements and interjections as it was, then you really should not get into discussions so far of your level of comprehension.
I know my English was perfectly clear in that post, so you must decide once and for all who you really are: a BAC+5, 20 years experience teacher, expert in linguistics and fluent in both English and French. Or a little girl 11 years old, with no literature knowledge and no idea of what irony is like, in which case you should go back to your toys. Quel culot, ma foi!...

[Valentin]

"on another thread I have pointed out that Valentin curries favour with those he thinks he can get on to his side"

You mean, like your lèche-pieds to Isobel and Azloon for supporting you on the gangster thread :) Küss. V.

[dot king]

Valentin: all the people I knew who were in sects spoke in exclamation marks and amazement that anybody couldn't see things their way, and would answer any serious debate with adoring nonsense.
Just as you do.
They lived in blind certainty of their being right and everyone else being wrong.
Just as you do.
I shan't answer any more of your posts on this or any other thread.

[Valentin]

Dorothy,
The difference between me and you, is that I don't just throw words around, like you did with gangster, or staged press conference etc.
When I say something, I prove it. I give links, videos, references.
If you don't understand that you can't just say anything anyhow, and then take no critic on it either, that's your problem. Pour citer mon guru: faut pas protester quand ça fait mal.

regards

(oh and you brits do remain GUESTS as long as you're subjects of the Queen and not French citizens; you may pay taxes a hundred years, you're still guests, just as good upbringing is still an universal value)

[john o'doe]

Les médias complices du Président ?
Please follow this link to see how other uninvited guests view the current state of democracy in this country http://contrejournal.blogs.liberation.fr/mon_weblog/2008/01/les-mdias-compl.html
Charles
Where do you stand on this question?

[dot king]

"Avant son élection, il a dit vouloir une république irréprochable. On voit qu'il prend des vacances aux frais d'amis milliardaires. Il répond mais ce n'est pas aux contribuables de payer mes vacances."

Taken from the very interesting link supplied above by John O'Doe.
Do the milliardaires not count as "contribuables"?

[Valentin]

"il prend des vacances aux frais d'amis milliardaires"

He goes on holidays payed by his billionnaire friends?

This is a lie, he went from Paris to Egypt on one of Vincent Bolloré's planes. He did not go on a holiday payed by Bolloré.
He certainly doesn't fly two families over to Egypt, lodge them, entertain them both, hiding, and from the taxpayer's money, as François Mitterrand did.

[Daniel Strohl]

John O'Doe,

Re : your post 15 JAN 11:06

As far as I remember one of your posts, you live in France since 20 years (please correct me if I am wrong).

If you actually lived already in France at that time, do you remember of ANY journalist having publicly asked "des questions gênantes à Mitterrand", for instance about monarchy, about an illegitimate child living with her mother in premises belonging to the "République Française", protected and sheltered from curiosity by elite body guards belonging to an official elite unit, paid by the same "République Française"?

I have not any remembrance of any question by any journalist (see NOTE) - although the above facts were known by many insiders and of course by most of the press as well.

One may assume that some journalists of nowadays are somewhat more courageous than their elders, or may be simply that they hold the risks for themselves for negligible, meanwhile hoping to increase the circulation of their papers.

NOTE : in a post I sent a few days ago, I mentioned an interview given by Mitterrand to two over-courageous (or naive?) Belgian journalists, who dared to ask him questions about the (illegal) phone tappings organized by the Elysée (this "affaire des écoutes" was judged by a French court - of course only after the death of Mitterrand).

I forgot to mention that I saw the Belgian interview years after the death of Mitterrand. I don't know if it has been broadcast by the Belgian TV during the lifetime of Mitterrand.

Conclusion : our left leaning bloggers and friends should restrain somewhat from righteous lesson teaching or irony about monarchy and transparency (tu parles !).

[dot king]

Daniel, I don't think anyone would deny that previous presidents behaved like monarchs, no matter how far left-leaning (I mean the bloggers, not the presidents). Anyone who watches French TV will have seen the famous scene with Mittérand bringing his interview to an end when he didn't like the questions. It was stupid, bad politics, it was lying by omission, it was refusal to be open and honest. And it was damning and showed disrespect for the French people. Très malsain politiquement.
But just because he did it, and others have been of the same taint before him, doesn't justify continuation of the practice, nor control of the press and journalists through pressure from their bosses, by their being friends with the president.
As we say in english, (I'm sure you know it), "two wrongs don't make a right". One can't justify the doubtful actions of one by referring to the doubtful actions of others.

[john o'doe]

Daniel,
I thoroughly agree with you that all the French presidents I've known have shown a monarchical attitude towards the press. The widely accepted view in most Western countries is that a free press, the fourth estate, is an essential component of a modern democracy.
What strikes most observers (and worries me) is that the French press continues to show deference to the current autocratic president who has annihilated all reasonable political opposition. In these circumstances, the rôle of an independent and free press is more important than ever. However, as Yves Calvi commented on TV (Mots croisés)on Monday night "Il y a malaise chez les journalistes français quand on pose des questions trop dures au président et il y a malaise chez les journalistes anglo-saxons quand on ne les pose pas. La raison est qu'il subsiste le sentiment qu'on ne dérange pas le roi".
I get the impression that the press is complicit in this slide towards a soft dictatorship.

[Daniel Strohl]

John,

Your post dated 16 JAN 14:00

Interesting post - no major objection to it. Just a small difference in interpretation :

"current autocratic president who has annihilated all reasonable political opposition" - I would almost say that the opposition has annihilated itself and, for the moment being, continues to annihilate what remains of it ! (see the "pantalonnade" with "la convocation du congrès du parlement à Versailles"). Europe is a major subject and should be treated accordingly, and not be an opportunity for some outdated pundits to take postures in which nobody is any more interested.

"is that the French press continues to show deference "
And when it does not, there are most of the time petty attacks on Sarkozy's private life (which I agree is much too conspicuous now - I hope that things will improve).

For the sake of France, the socialists should make their aggiornamento - this has been made by all other major and responsible European socialist parties, sometimes since many years. This would provide the French voters with a credible alternative they don't have right now and didn't have 8 months ago.

May be that the "press is complicite" because they feel there is no alternative and therefore that things will last longer than the initial 5 years ...

[Daniel Strohl]

Dot,

"two wrongs don't make a right"

Yes, of course. I just wanted to remind that Sarkozy has invented nothing in this field. You have acknowledged what Mitterrand did (wrong), but contrary to you, I am pretty sure that some will not ...

"It was refusal to be open and honest" : this has not (yet ?) been demonstrated by Sarkozy.

[Dominique]

Daniel Strohl,

" forgot to mention that I saw the Belgian interview years after the death of Mitterrand. I don't know if it has been broadcast by the Belgian TV during the lifetime of Mitterrand."

??? We saw this during Mitterand's presidency on the french TV!! You forgot that.

This is getting crazy. All critics regarding Mitterand were all in the french press from the beginning. When i was a kid, the Figaro was already writing that Mitterand was in Petain's administration, that he was not clear with Algeria etc...

The "ecoutes telephoniques" were a huge scandale and all papers and TV news were talking about it. The fact that it did not remove him from power is a different subject an does not mean the press didn't do it's job at that time!

Same regarding Sarko today. Claiming the the french press is showing "deference" does not make sens. You can't switch a TV on, open a paper, listen to the radio without having all the Sarko bashers on the waves all day long! I am not a fan of Sarko, but claiming that the press does not criticize him is just not true.

You obviously don't read Libération, Nouvel Obs, marianne, Canal+, iTélé, France Inter... and all the other programs (from Ruquier to ... pfiouuu). Without to mention all the state administration that entered in "resistance" against Sarko (Judiciary system etc...), historians, sociologist etc...

Deference? what is the point asking a question again if you don't like the answer? getting the same answer? so what? that won't go very far...quite pointless indeed. Remember the poor CBS journalist raising the Cecilia question? She got the answer she deserved!

[Pierre Bernardi]

For the first time in many years, the French seem to have stopped arguing for the sake of it. I put this down to the demise of Le Pen. Any bids for his hq in Saint-Cloud? €1 do I hear?

[Daniel Strohl]

Dominique,

"??? We saw this during Mitterand's presidency on the french TV!! You forgot that ».

Yes, I forgot that. If you are 100 % sure to have seen this on French TV WHILE Mitterrand was still president, I believe you. It was not my intention to twist things.

"All critics regarding Mitterand were all in the french press from the beginning".
In my recollection, the critics started really to be in the French press after the book of P.Péan "Une jeunesse française", published in 1994, one year before Mitterrand's retirement. This book was the catalyst. May be I am wrong also here.

Since I had forgotten the exact date of Péan's book, I had a look this morning at GOOGLE with the following request :"Péan Mitterrand". The very first document which popped up (« named » UNTITLED) included the date I was looking for and comments about Mitterrand. Hereafter an extract, which gives some insight on Mitterrand's « esprit de tolérance » :
« Un exemple : en 1984, 3 députés de l'opposition mettaient en cause F. Mitterrand, ce qui leur valut la perte pour trois ans de leur indemnité pour injure au président de la république. " François Mitterrand a un passé ! " s'était exclamé François d'Aubert. Autrement dit un passé vichyssois ».
(Note : I hope that this document is « digne de foi », but of course, Internet is not the Bible !)

But enough with Mitterand – however, to be fair, I will add that in my opinion, one may credit him to have been a convinced and active European (which was not very popular) and also to have managed to almost squeeze the Parti Communiste out of the French « paysage politique ». This was quite an achievement.

« SAME REGARDING SARKO TODAY » : Dominique, I don't deserve this second part of your philippic (LOL) ! Les coupables se reconnaîtront ...

I have never said that the French press does not attack Sarkozy; I would even say that some papers, i.e a part of those you have mentioned, make a living out of this (business). I just said that during the famous press conference, some not very intelligent questions were asked – that's all, folks !