Paris reinvents the royal past

Is Paris doing a las Vegas on itself ? Some historians and architectural purists are making the comparison as the Château de Versailles inaugurates a dazzling new golden gate, based on the long-forgotten entrance of King Louis XIV.

Much more ambitious and controversial is a scheme now gathering steam to rebuild from scratch the Tuileries palace, the great royal residence that fronted the Louvre and was burnt down in the Commune revolt of 1871.

The critics are crying vandalism. They are accusing philistines of trying to turn Paris into Disneyland or a version of the Nevada gambling capital with its mock-ups of world monuments. The phenomenon has arisen since corporate sponsors became willing to throw millions into France's star heritage projects.

The immediate fuss is over Versailles' grand gate and railings. The original, built by the Sun King in the 1680s, was torn down by the mob that came hunting for King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in October 1789.

The palace, which has been refurbishing itself at frantic speed, built a copy of the old gate in all its splendour, thanks to five million euros of corporate donations.  Over 100,000 sheets of gold leaf and 15 tonnes of iron were used by craftsmen to create a copy of the original gate, built by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the original Versailles architect. It is emblazoned with the royal fleur-de-lys, crowns, masks of Apollo, cornucopias and the crossed capital Ls, the symbol of the Sun King.

The trouble is that it is only a modern rendering, with anachronistic methods, of a gate that existed only in engravings. On top of that, it links two massive buildings that were built two centuries after the Sun King, by King Louis-Philippe..

To get back to the Sun King look, Versailles has moved out an equestrian statue of Louis XIV which will be put somewhere else. The curators and the Ministry of Culture are ecstatic over the restoration of the glory of Louis XIV. The critics are calling it "bling-bling". La Tribune de l'Art calls it "state vandalism" and "the creation of a bastard state which never existed before." Inevitably, the appetite for opulent restoration is being tied to the linked to royal tastes of our present Sun King, Sarko I. 

We do not yet know His Majesty's verdict on the Tuileries scheme. The idea of rebuilding from zero one of the greatest long-lost edifices of central Paris would seem a little unhinged. But a group of historians has been campaigning for several years to do just this and they are making a new push as President Sarkozy seeks ways of leaving his signature on the Paris cityscape. He would like to go one better than the late President Mitterrand who is remembered for a string of grands projets, notably the 1980s grand Louvre which is crowned by I.M. Pei's glass Pyramid in the courtyard.  Why not go one better and put the pyramid in the shade by planting a brand new royal palace on front of it -- for use as a conference and exhibition centre of course? 

The Tuileries, built by Catherine de Medicis in the 16th century, used to run the 266 metres between the two northwestern wings of the Louvre. Successive regimes, from Louis XIV, through the revolutionary committees to the 19th century Napoleon III, had their quarters there. Since it was razed in 1883, there has been a hole in the original perspective that ran from the Louvre through the Tuileries gardens and up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe [vanished Tuileries in red below]

"Architecturally, the rebuilt Tuileries would enclose the Louvre as it was and how it should be," says Maurice Druon, the venerable historical writer and Académicien.

In today's France Soir, Jean-Francois Legaret, the Mayor of the 1st arrondissement of Paris -- home to the Louvre -- appealed to Mr Sarkozy to order the reconstruction. "This would be a forceful way for him to leave his marque on the city," said Legaret. The promoters say the new Tuileries would find corporate financing in a flash without a tax-payer's centime required.

If modern Moscow could resurrect its cathderal of Christ the Saviour, blown up by Stalin in the 1930s, and Berlin can build the Hohenzollern palace, then Paris can surely recreate the Tuileries, say the project's supporters. I don't need to start describing the revolt that will be certain should Sarkozy give the slightest hint that he is thinking about building a royal palace

Comments

[Marianne]

I believe reconstructing the Tuileries is absurd, as reconstructing the Hohenzollern palace in Berlin is. It seems to me to be a way of erasing historical events simply because they are not seen as “suitable”. The German Communist era as well as the Commune can be discussed and criticised, but they happened. It is symptomatic (and ironical)that the great architectural ambition asked of Sarkozy would be looking behind and not ahead.

[John Styx]

Geez, Charles, Maurice Druon is no historian. He writes (wrote?) historical novels, which is quite different.

[qwerty]

The park of the Chateau de Versailles is where I take my dog on beautiful spring and summer mornings. They're pretty relaxed about dogs, less about bikes "même tenus à la main".

Me and my dog have gone all around the park - starting behind the Hameau de Marie-Antoinette (he's not allowed in there though) through the foresty parts and the wheat fields, around the Petit Trianon (fermé), past the chief gardener's house (he tells me his own dog chases the foxes and other wildlife in the park at night), down to the Grand Trianon and then around the fabulous Grand Canal with the Palace in the distance.

Not many people apart from a few joggers and (illicit) bikers, much more fun than visiting the antiquated and overcrowded palais. Besides it's free of charge and of course no waiting whatsoever.

BTW: end of August: equestrian ballet by Bartabas around the bassin de Neptune, it's magical. At night you can almost sense the grounds teeming with the ghosts of all the members of the Cour.

[paul]

How surprising ! Those who have visited the Elysée and the French Assemblies and Matignon will have noticed how the French elite yearn for the sun king (for which we thank the Indians of South America!) and live in conditions of 18th century luxury/ squalour that the average citizen in his country cottage or HLM with a bare lightbulb or two can barely imagine.
But of course Paris as ever belongs to the rich and famous wallowing in luxury goods. No wonder the Parisian in the steet is so disgruntled.

[Joan Arles]

I can understand them putting a gilded gate back into Versailles, even if the historical accuracy is questionable. It helps draw the tourists. But rebuilding the whole Tuileries palace smack in the middle of Paris ? You must be joking. You can't rewind the tape and go back in time like that. So much else has evolved in that landscape round the Tuileries that jamming in a great big palace would create havoc,

[Daisy]

This article just makes me wish I could be in Paris today. Instead, I'm stuck in my office in Toronto. Well, at least it's sunny.

[azloon]

Versailles is one one of the grandest locations on earth, and won't be diminished, perhaps even improved, by a new gate.

i think the it will improve the one area of the palace that seems a tad squalid -- the cobblestone courtyard that presumably the new gilded gate will enclose. and they ought to consider a little fancier entrance for tourists other than those small, stone foyers on the sides of the palace.

personally, i think NS should make it the official residence of the French President, and that his official state speeches should be delivered from his upstairs bedroom, thought an open window, in his bedclothes.

i don't think we have to worry about agitated, present day french citizens tearing down the new gate though they might try to 'talk' it down someday if they get angry enough.

[John Gregory Flinn]

"If modern Moscow could resurrect its cathderal of Christ the Saviour, blown up by Stalin in the 1930s, and Berlin can build the Hohenzollern palace, then Paris can surely...."

Comparing the revival of Moscow's Cathedral with those other symbols of regal excess and decadence is (apart from the spelling mistake) surely an indiscretion of the kind only Richard Dawkins might draw.
The inspiration of faith in Russia, undimmed by atheistic communism can hardly parallel such 'state vandalism'.

However, a fitting architectural memorial might be one that recognized the ascent of man's spirit over such tyranny as we've seen in recent times.
But would Sarkozy see that as his signature?

[John]

Charles Bremner, I don't understand the point of your criticism here. Pretty much all historical monuments have been rebuilt/recreated over the centuries, particularly in England (Westminster Abbey is largely an 18th and 19th century monument, but unsuspecting visitor still believe it is a monument straight from the Middle Ages, and the British Parliament is simply a 19th century copy of a Medieval monument that never existed, not to mention Windsor Castle where most of the buildings and rooms standing now were rebuilt after the Middle Ages, particularly in the 19th century).

Here they have recreated a gate that was missing for 200 years, and they have painstakingly searched for the original blueprints of the royal grill which all survived (thanks to France's long tradition of keeping all archives), thus allowing a recreation 100% faithful to the original, but you don't give them much credit in your article.

Concerning the Tuileries, please leave Sarkozy aside. This has nothing to do with Sarkozy. This is actually a very serious project that has been going on for years, and whether people agree or not with the project, there are some serious arguments supporting this project. First of all, contrary to what you mockingly wrote, the rebuilt Tuileries wouldn't be used as a "conference and exhibition centre". It would be used to give more space to the Louvre Museum, which, despite its already enormous size, doesn't have enough space to display all the objects it would like to display.

Second, a lot of people do not know this, but at the start of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 the French authorities emptied the Tuileries Palace entirely and kept all its furniture, drawings, curtains, tapestries, etc. in secret storage places in the provinces to preserve them from potential destruction. When the palace burnt down in 1871, only the walls burnt. All the content of the Tuileries has been stored since 1870 and is unfortunately not shown to the public due to lack of space. The idea here, if the Tuileries is rebuilt, is to recreate the main rooms (state rooms, reception halls, etc.) as they were in 1870 by returning all the furniture, tapestries, etc. that have been stored since 1870. That way the public could at last see these treasures of the mostly 19th century (but also 18th and 17th centuries). The other smaller rooms would not be rebuilt as they were in 1870, but turned into exhibition rooms for the Louvre Museum.

If you look on the internet, you can see some photographs of the main rooms in the Tuileries before 1870. Their splendor is impressive. Whether or not we agree with the rebuilding of the Tuileries, it's fair to say that recreating these lost rooms, especially as all their content still survives, deserves some consideration.

Personally, I think the best would be to create a real size mock-up on site, as they did in Berlin with the Imperial Palace, and let it stand there for a year so that Parisians can see how it would look with the rebuilt Tuileries, and whether they like it with the rebuilt building or they prefer the current void.

[John]

If you want to find out more about the Tuileries project, you can check their website which is quite informative: http://www.tuileries.fr/

I know how it feels, the first time you hear about it you think they are just nuts, as I thought the first time. But once you start digging into the whereabouts of the project, you realize it's much more than just a joke. There are some very serious reasons behind this project, I tried to explain some of them in my previous message, and you'll find out more on their website. The more you inquire about this project, the more it grows on you and becomes appealing.

[Richard]

Close off the axis between the Louvre, Concorde, and the Arc de Triomphe? Ridiculous! The open space is a monument to the Commune and a gift to the people of Paris, in my view.

@qwerty - I once took the walk around the park of Versailles that you described. It was delightful. Thanks for mentioning it.

[David Powell]

John Gregory Flinn. . .'The inspiration of faith in Russia, undimmed by atheistic communism can hardly parallel such state vandalism'

Ha!

The Church in Russia supported the evil and repressive regime of the Czars.

The revolution brought in a democratic government.

This was regime was opposed by the church and then overthrown by the Communists.

And when you look at a church or a cathedral and say. . this was built by King so and so or Bishop whatsit. . well it wasn't. . it was built by men and boys who earned a pittance and lived in hovels. . it's just that the credit was taken by the rich and religious.

Twas ever thus, and shame on you for believing it and not seeing through the religious propaganda.

[Linca]

Can we make a deal, rebuild the Tuileries and destroy the Sacré Coeur ?

[Robert Marchenoir]

"I don't need to start describing the revolt that will be certain should Sarkozy give the slightest hint that he is thinking about building a royal palace." (CB)

Quite. Although this would be a very bad reason not to build it, I hope you're right and it prevents him from letting this stupid project go along.

If some corporations reek of money to the point of not knowing how to spend it, may I suggest that there are a hundred more useful things they could offer the nation.

However, never underestimate the building urge in French presidents. The pharaoh syndrome is a given at the Elysée palace, whatever the host.

[Eachran]

Just a comment on architecture the line from the Louvre doesnt stop at the Arc it stops at Defense.

And very impressive it is too.

If anything in Paris needs to be reconstructed it is Les Halles. Yes I know there are plans afoot but they are not nearly ambitious enough.

[Valerie]

whatever they do, they must rid paris of beaubourg first! what an eyesore! aaarrrgh!

[John Styx]

@Linca, hear, hear! Such a pity the Germans didn't destroy this meringue monstrosity. I would also advocate knocking down the Tour Montparnasse. Saint-Sulpice is quite hideous as well. So is Saint-François-Xavier. Come to think of it, Paris has quite a lot of ghastly buildings.

[Dominique]

Delightfull summer controversy. How lovely!

[Linca]

The destruction of the Sacré Coeur is not only needed for its aspect as hideous monstrosity on one of Paris' highest points, but also for its "Parisians sinners, repent from daring to revolt !" political meaning, smack in the middle of an historically popular neighbourhood.

[qwerty]

Yes - the tour Montparnasse is the first thing that must go. Maybe el quaeda could give a hand????

Then Saint Sulpice and the Sacré Coeur, the Centre Pompidou and the Halles.

Another palace to be rebuilt: the one that no longer exists in the lovely parc de Marly, at the Abreuvoir in Louveciennes/Marly.

So they're flush with private money? let them spend it.

[Dodo]

John,

Thank you for your excellent message.
As you correctly said there is absolutly no link between the Tuilleries and Sarko since the project of this comitee is a 2002 project. Indeed even De Gaulle wanted to rebuild the Tuilleries.

But it is summer time, you know. How to turn the article more attractive, if not linking it to Sarko ?
And for the criticism, this is the affectionate way our british friends use to show their love for France.

[Jorg Andersen]

As bloggers have noted here, often when Charles writes something about Paris or architecture, the commentator John writes something unpleasant. I recall, but I may be wrong, that the last time people defended him against this, they were dismissed as "harpies" because they were female. John's points are false arguments. Charles notes that the Tuileries campaign has been going on "for some years". So why does John make out that he's saying it's connected to Sarkozy? The Sarkozy , as CB says, is the topical point that the committee is appealing to Sarkozy. That's why it was news for heavens sake. John talks about Charles criticizing the project. He does not. He is reporting the debate with his usual light touch and that's why we like reading this blog.

[Roger Goodacre]

From what I saw on TV5 news last night, it seems that Delanoë is likewise determined to leave his mark on the city, in his case by building a series of 150 metre high tower blocks around the périph (breaking the accepted 30m height restriction that's existed for at least 30 years).

What is it with these socialist mayors, men of the people..? Ken Livingstone had the same dehumanising instinct and was planning to radically reshape London's skyline, until an election fortunately intervened and the voters told him where to stick his ego.

[Daniel Strohl]

Roger,

"the voters told him where to stick his ego"

Nice expression, Roger - had never heard it up to now ! With of course your permission, I will use it from time to time when relevant :))

[remy]

This project existed long before Sarkozy was elected.
The only reason that will prevent the reconstruction of the Tuilleries is that we still don t accept in France our "old regime" heritage. Old regime seen as crual, unfair, tyranny... despite the fact it haven t been responsible for the great terror, the colonisation of black africa, for the first world war or the defeat during the second. The republic continue to copy the monarchy maybe to forget that its legitimacy is not obvious and that the republic is based on mass massacre, denunciation and calomny.

[Michael Sandingville]

John's comments on architecture/town planning are always too longwinded. Can someone summarise them for me?

[John Gregory Flinn]

DAVID POWELL - I was'nt referring to the 'Church' in Russia, which indeed has been an 'evil and repressive regime', not only in Russia.
The Kerensky Duma abolished the Czar but not the religion. Kerensky 'gave way' to Lenin and his criminal gang in October of 1917 who went on to attempt that.
The faith of the ordinary citizen survived this soviet oppression and culminated in the Cathedral's rebuilding - inter alia.
And, for Sarkozy to claim such a 'grand projet' in his name may be just as fatuous as the 'Kings' and 'Bishops' did. (Although the builders would no longer earn a pittance, live in hovels or employ boys.)

Which religious propaganda have I not seen through?

[rocket]

Daniel

"the voters told him where to stick his ego"

We also say

"You can stick it where the sun doesn't shine"

[marc millier]

rebuilt TUILERIES
www.tuileries.org

the site to support this big plan

[Isa]

[Note from CB. The following was just posted on the blog of my colleague Mary Beard. It would obviously have been more useful here. Enjoy:]

Dear Mary, I love your posts,but they're not what I'm writing abt; I 'd love s.o. to tell me whether the continual ill-informed biased (albeit rather cleverly done,I must say)slandering of President Sarkozy & French people in general by that Charles Bremner thing is official Times policy or if it's just him;I know the gutter press is dreadful towards us,but the Times? against a right-wing President? Can't work it out,I must say; anyway,if he is so dismissive & contemptuous of all things French,why not send him smwhere else? Outer Mongolia,for instance;much much better there! His coverage of the Betancourt story(as the latest example)is a pack of half-truths,distorsions,the usual contempt against the French & plain damn lies:a dubious report of a ridiculously small ransom appears out of the blue(from anti-Uribe,pro narco traffickers v.probably) & of course he pounces on it & presents it as fact; Betancourt is a remarkably bright woman with ideas,(from a wealthy family,shame on her!),& from wht he says you'd believe she was a mere creation of the Paris fashion circles;she is supposedly called the"Joan of Arc of the Andes":complete bollocks! Never ever read or heard anybody say that!(I read the French press,too);her memory has been kept alive by "relentless publicity"(well,if he ever gets kidnapped,I hope there won't be any publicity,relentless or otherwise! The French "public" have been "gripped by the saga"!As if it was a joke,a good story,something unreal,& not a fellow citizen & a wife & mother kept for nearly seven years in the jungle in dreadful conditions;as if it was not an honour not to forget someone & to care to that extent abt their release;there is ALWAYS an anti French slant in anything he comments on;he seems full of hatred & spite;(plus it is bad journalism) I wonder if the aim is not to please the Americans & keep the ignorant Americans in their anti-French positions,in which case it would be official British policy...anyway,I needed to air my feelings about this unsavoury character;he is on a par with the delightful Cherie Blair! By the way, I remember Prince Edwd's wife was interviewed by fake journalists once & told them Mrs B. was "horrid,horrid,horrid".It seems she was right... Best regards

Posted by: Isa | 6 Jul 2008 13:44:45

[Daisy]

Well Isa, I guess that laxative worked, eh?

Charles, Mongolia gets awfully cold in the winter so pack your warm coat and don't forget your "Long Johns".

[AliceMT]

Wow. That Isa really likes you, Charles. I have not written here before but I am reading you often -- as she obviously does not. If you are supposed to be misinformed and anti-French in every article, then I don't know what the rest of the media anglo-saxon is. PS Can we all call you "thing"?

[Dominique]

Dear old Isa,

tulutlutulutulu les français parlent aux français tulltulutulutulu

About Betancourt, claims :
"she was [supposed to be] a mere creation of the Paris fashion circles;she is supposedly called the"Joan of Arc of the Andes":complete bollocks! Never ever read or heard anybody say that!(I read the French press,too)"

Well, of course, you don't read that in the french press; that's because the french press made Ms Betancourt. The press isn't going to destroy what it made, and what actually feeds it.

[dot king]

I knew someone was misinforming me and turning me against the French . . .

Aha! so, it was YOU, Charles Bremner!
EXPOSED!

[Dodo]

Isa,
As I said above, CB is very francofile. However he has a boss and the times belong to someone called ....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Times
It is why I said 2 days ago to Charles : "Don't sell your soul for money".
Charles : I hope you will not moderate my post because I said that your boss was the same boss of the Fox News channel.

[Fernandez]

Charles -

If you're going to be covering Mongolia, I hope you like horse milk. I hear it's a staple.

[Thanks. In fact I know Mongolia a bit, having already been a correspondent there -- or at least a visting one, in Soviet Times. Horse's milk is delicious. CB]

For Isa -

I think you are conflating Charles' original post with those of the bloggers. I find Charles to be neutral to pro-Sarko (and pro-Carlita, ugh!). The debate amongst the bloggers tends to be fierce, often off topic, but equally representative of both sides. (Besides, being anti-Carlita would be anti-Italian, wouldn't it?)

Don't confuse criticism of particular French things with hatred of France. The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. People who 'hate' France wouldn't bother to follow what's going on there. People who read this blog know and like France well enough to care.

[Dodo]

Dominique,
At least the French press save a life.
Better than to have another press giving wrong arguments for to carpet-bomb innocent Iraqis.
It is not ?

[Joan Arles]

I suspect Isa must be someone you know, Charles. She (?) is so far out, it sounds personal. Have you broken someone's heart lately ?

[Dodo]

Jorg Andersen : "often when Charles writes something about Paris or architecture, the commentator John writes something unpleasant"

Jorg : I found the John's post excellent.
To remember that the Tuilleries Idea went in the french mind years before the Sarko's father came to France is not unpleasant
Do you agree ?

[Dominique]

Dodo,

Betancourt's hysteria or Iraq's misjudgment? is that our choice?

Give us back the ORTF!

[Gill]

I agree with Fernandez (is this Mary or is there another Fernandez on this blog?). I have read this blog for about eighteen months and am still not sure of Charles' politics. He manages to convey both sides of a story often playing devil's advocate and he is certainly not anti Sarkozy.
I read the blog because I visit France regularly and am particularly interested in the French way of life. This blog gives many perspectives from French nationals, other nationalities who have made France their home, frequent visitors like myself and others who are unable to spend much time in France but who like much about the country.
I do not always agree with the bloggers' comments but that does not matter because I am interested in the many different views. Criticism does not indicate hatred but rather enough love of France and the French way of life to wish to become involved.

[Philip]

“Overall project budget: €9 million” (Versailles website, link above)

The cost to offer shelter, food, clothing and an education to a child in the Nyabondo/Kenya orphanage is 30 €/month.

From the cost of this golden gate, 2 500 children could be given a home for 10 years.

[Mouhaha]

John (7 Jul 2008 18:19:15) doing the job that Charles Bremner always fails to do, ty.

And of course that Charles Bremner's columns are mostly french bashing, the whole British -oops, Murdoch's australian/american- press is french bashing and is conditioning every single day their people to hate the french. Just have a look at some studies on that matter, this "press" gave us these appalling numbers: "72% percent of Britons questioned in a recent survey believed the French warranted their negative stereotype, while only 19% of French believe the Brits deserved their "Rosbifs" tag."

Congratz for your contribution to mankind, British "journalists".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4353794.stm

[Jorg Andersen]

To Dodo and you remark:
"To remember that the Tuilleries Idea went in the french mind years before the Sarko's father came to France is not unpleasant"

-- Not in itself, but it ignores the fact that Charles made exactly the same point in his post.

-- To Isa and others with their easy slanging at "Murdoch press" and French-bashing and so on: Sounds to me that you have an agenda that has nothing to do with what Charles actually writes. All those who come here to dump on this blog -- without exception -- fail to cite any example to back up their allegations. Funny.

[Pierre]

"I (...)am still not sure of Charles' politics. He manages to convey both sides of a story often playing devil's advocate and he is certainly not anti Sarkozy."
He's simply professional isn't he?

John's explanations are equally interesting, and as Dominque puts it it is a lovely controversy. And another test to Sarko's interventionism.
However if he was to REALLY prove his divilish side and shadow Mitterrand's architectural legacy, shouldn't he think about rebuilding the Bastille's forteress in front of the opera?

[Rupert Pearson]

Dear "Marianne", you state your disapproval of "erasing historical events simply because they are not seen as “suitable”". But that is precisely why the "Tuileries" were 'erased'. As this is something you disapprove of then why do you not approve of defying their erasure by rebuilding them? The only thing that would be erased would be a relatively narrow strip of underused land between the beautiful gardens and the rest of the Palace. Also, please may I respond to "Paul". You state that "You can't rewind the tape and go back in time like that." I do not feel it is clear why rebuilding a lost treasure but for an entirely different purpose (conferences) would be rewinding a tape. Also you have not said why "tapes" "can" not be "rewound'". I presume by "can" you mean 'should', in which case the impression is that you regard the question of refusing to submit in every case to historical events - to, as it were, counter-revolution - as inherently apostate and forbidden, which of course adds to the attraction of having the building rebuilt! Also you claim, "So much else has evolved in that landscape round the Tuileries that jamming in a great big palace would create havoc.". However, like perhaps every other person leaving a comment here, I have many times walked both the large gardens that extend in the direction of the Champs Elysees and the large courtyard space and both the footprint in question together with its adjoining zones are quite unused in fact. There is some question however as to the extent to which the building would obstruct existing view from and toward the palace but this issue is thoroughly addressed at the following webpage:
http://www.tuileries.org/page.php?id=retablir.grandes.perspectives

[Lily]

Barack Obama wishes to address the German people on his Europe tour on July 24th in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

France could invite him to speak in front of their new Golden Gate.

Roger Boyes, The Times, Berlin, believes, “the pitstop in Paris is sure to fall foul of the Carla factor, with photographers going for the glamour shot, Mme Sarkozy embracing Mr Obama, rather than focusing on the chiselled statesman-in-waiting.”

In the article « Paris, la destination qui fait peur aux élus américains » on “Rue 89” I found this:

[Lorsque des sénateurs français ont invité leurs homologues américains à des rencontres plus fréquentes, James Dean (non, pas celui-là) de l’Heritage Foundation (un think tank conservateur) a expliqué les hésitations des élus américains à venir en France:
"Ça ne passe pas avec les électeurs d’aller en France. Nos hommes politiques sont prêts à aller au Pakistan, en Irak ou en Israël, mais aller en France, ça ne fait pas sérieux, on se dit qu’il y va pour avoir la belle vie et bien manger." ]
http://www.rue89.com/2008/07/06/paris-la-destination-qui-fait-peur-aux-elus-americains

[Olivier]

It seems to me very well, not only as a French man, but as a lover of art. The matter is that modern architecture not only is ugly but also very conformist : whatever you are, in UK, France, Japan or America, you always see the same blocks of glass and concret. Architects of the past knew the rules of beauty, modern architects not.

[John O'Doe]

If Sarko le Roi Soleil has ambitions to become Nicolas le Bâtisseur then he'd better get building fast because he's running out of time and there's a slight funding problem i.e. "les caisses sont vides" and nobody, not even the Syrians, want to buy the Rafale.
His first term of office runs out in less than 4 years' time and he's unlikely to get a renewal.

[John Gregory Flinn]

For GILL and others;
Charles politics do appear somewhat mysterious, but a fair impression can be divined from his blog - "Pity about the Irish No to Europe".

I would not dream of classifying his position but ISA might like to try (after she has read "Pity about the ....).