Finance Minister shows America the fun side of France

Paris is talking about the fine performance by Christine Lagarde, the French Finance Minister, on Jon Stewart's Daily Show (Watch the Monday evening interview below). If you have only seen Lagarde inside France, it's an eye-opener. She is at ease, bantering in near perfect English, drawing applause when she says she had fired a few bankers because "they did a crappy job".  Her advisers were initially nervous about exposing her to one of Stewart's comic grillings but she did well, batting off questions such as "Is America now more Socialist than France" and on France's debt to the US from the war.  

Inside France, Lagarde, 53, has proved a liability to President Sarkozy. She is politically inept. Publicly, she seems stiff and out of touch and she is known as Christine Lagaffe because of her many verbal blunders. These have included telling the French last year that if motor fuel was too expensive they should just ride bicycles. As an outsider from the elite technocracy,  she is flanked by junior ministers who run the financial machine. Lagarde is a non-politician who was brought into the government in 2005. She was humiliated last year by colleagues who said publicly that France needed a heavyweight Finance Minister. But a lot has changed since the slump set in last autumn. She has become an international star.

[May 4 update: Lagarde has just been named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Read Tim Geithner's tribute to her in Time. Sarkozy is the only other French person on the list. Lagarde's nomination is ascribed in France entirely to the fact that she speaks good English]

Lagarde is the only member of the government who is at home in the Anglo-Saxon world. As such, she is invaluable to a President who, though an Americophile, is unable to construct a sentence in English.  A former member of the French synchronized swimming team, Lagarde worked for 20 years in the USA as a lawyer with Baker & McKenzie, the Chicago-based firm. She was its international chairwoman when President Chirac recruited her as Trade Minister in 2005.

Lagarde does not just give a good impression in English, charming TV viewers. She is in her element in the world of internationl business and finance. When Lehman Brothers was collapsing last September, she was the only European Finance Minister called by Henry Paulson, the then Treasury Secretary. She knew him from his days with Goldman Sachs in Chicago.

Le Figaro, the newspaper closest to the Sarkozy court, carried a double-edged profile of her today, praising her for her new role as France's international face but noting her continuing low reputation with the Elysée Palace. A palace staffer told the paper: "She scores 100 percent for international relations. In explaining the economy she scores 30. That makes an average of 65."

While on the France-America theme, le Monde reported yesterday that Barack Obama has riposted over Sarkozy's claim that he was not up to speed on climate change. Obama pulled aside Jean-Louis Borloo, the Environment Minister, at a Washington conference and told him to tell Sarko that he was doing his homework and the next time they meet he will beat him on the subject.

[Click to watch Lagarde interview. For French readers here, Jon Stewart's satirical nightly news show is roughly equivalent to the Canal+ Grand Journal with a bit of Laurent Ruquier and Nicolas Canteloup thrown in.]  

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Christine Lagarde
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

Comments

[Anna]

She appeared on the Channel 4 news a few weeks ago talking about banks gambling with the world economy - equally impressive. Love how she insists on her 'bonjour' with all her interviewers, who launch in with their first question.

[rocket]

Jon Stewart is nothing but a kiss ass illiterate sheep when it comes to interviewing his fellow socialist comrades. (Did anyone see the Pelosi interview?) This is leftist entertainment at its finest by someone who is ignorant on his best of days. This is well known and can be verified through simply watching his show, which I have stopped doing because of it's repetitive "gauchiste" slant.

His questions are soft and fluffy when directed towards his leftist friends. In other words he's a big pussy. But since the show has been adopted in France I believe on Canal+(that poor excuse for journalistic integrity) I can understand why it has gotten mention here.

But what the hell. If a couple of Gallic friends get a "h*rd *n" because of this interview. More power to them.

Most Americans remain illiterate as to who Mme Largarde is and rightly so.

As a footnote, Mme Lagarde is the individual who constantly revises her previsions downward as per economic growth and upward as per unemployment and deficit. She's not a free thinker at all.

[azloon]

Baker & McKenzie is a major, heavy-duty, big-time pressure cooker law 'machine.' that Lagarde ascended the success ladder there is testament to her drive and intellect. so when she was appointed by Tsarko, i guessed here that she might turn out to be a future political force in France. now i find it interesting that she basically has been a big 'bust.' plainly, success in the high-powered world of u.s. law firms is basically irrelevant to the weird world of french politics. blazing brain power and candor are obviously not the makings for success in french political circles.

i am guessing the french don't know what to make of her, with her strange american m.o., and distinctly american way of looking at problems.

it's heartening though that France has a high-level minister that has mastered the most difficult of u.s. professional environments and has, at least, some minor influence on le president.

what's most amazing about her is that she really 'gets' and enjoys american humor. that puts her in a distinct minority among her compatriots (those who do could all meet in a pissoir).

there's really nothing unusual about all this: we all love someone who appreciates us, Americans and French alike.

[Julio]

Absolutely pathetic.

Someone should have told Stewart that the right wing has been in power for the last 10 years in France.

Rocket : That was a fair and balanced analysis of anything lefty.
Glenn Beck would be proud.

Done teabagging already ?

[Dominique]

I watched....

Not as bad as the french crap on TV...

Do the US have something as crappy as Thierry Ardisson who was able to ask a former prime minister (Michel Rocard) if "sucer c'est tromper?"

(is "sucking" "cheating" on his husband"?)

That was real crap! Come on boys, we are the crappiest of all on TV!!

[DODO]

Charles : Je peux troller moi aussi ?

La prestation de Mme Lagarde chez les Anglo Saxons est passée totalement inaperçue en France, et c'est très bien.
Le fait que Madame Lagarde ait plus d'humour, d'intelligence et de répartie que ces pseudo-humoristes Anglo Saxons (les mêmes qu'on voyait tétanisés de peur sous l'ère Bush) ne surprendra personne.
Le journalisme aux US est niveau Pravda. Et encore, les Russes savaient-ils que tout ce qui disait dans la Pravda était mensonge,
Alors que les americains eux croient en leur presse. LOL !

C'est dire....

[dada]

"For French readers here, Jon Stewart's satirical nightly news show is roughly equivalent to the Canal+ Grand Journal with a bit of Laurent Ruquier and Nicolas Canteloup thrown in."

how condescending!and to equate STEWART with ruquier/canteloup, is digne of an ammanite tue-mouche eater...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSE_saVX_2A
Banzai(grôland)

[Anne]

She was on HardTalk recently as well, answering tough questions from Stephen Sackur, and she did really well. I was very impressed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/hardtalk/7976555.stm

[azloon]

Dodo

Speaking of crap and crappy, vous, j'ai peur, would register quite a high reading on a fecal thermometer (no, don't worry, it's not administered rectally).

mais, c'est dommage que vous escrivez en francais si plus de gens qui savent comment vous etes ignorant.

btw, it takes a troll to know a troll.

ou, en francais, seulement un troll peut connaitre un autre troll.

and it's too bad you can't appreciate Stewart's comedic talents.

[D. Ann]

My sister and her husband knew Christine Lagarde well when she worked for Baker and McKenzie. My brother-in-law is a partner in another major law firm and my sister is a judge. They have nothing but the highest opinion of Ms. Lagarde and have always told me what a very intelligent woman she is.

[Daisy]

While CL was having fun with Jonny, the Daily Mail reports that Jean Louis Borloo was being given a message for his boss...not sure if this is true, but funny if it is...

[It's true. The Mail reporter just lifted it straight from yesterday's le Monde. CB]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1175095/Tell-Nicolas-Ill-homework-Obama-hits-Sarkozys-inexperience-jibe.html?ITO=1490

[DODO]

mais, c'est dommage que vous escrivez en francais si plus de gens qui savent comment vous etes ignorant.

Posted by: azloon | 30 Apr 2009 17:16:10

Des gens comme vous et Roket ayant la facheuse habitude de vous moquer de ceux qui ne dominent pas l'Anglais
(Charles nous retrouvera bien la dernière raillerie de Roket à mon encontre) et CB ayant autorisé les messages en Français je ne vois pas pourquoi je capitulerai à votre arrongante observation.
Beau joueur, je ne vais même pas relever vos erreurs de Français

[Encore une fois, je rappelle à tout le monde que le français est autant apprecié que l'anglais sur ce blog. CB]

[rocket]

Julio

Rocket : That was a fair and balanced analysis of anything lefty.
Glenn Beck would be proud.

Glenn Beck is an asshole too.

so s*d off

[qwerty]

Baker McKenzie is a heavy duty pressure cooker of a law firm but, in France at least, I've not noticed they're on the biggest and best deals. There are other mastodonts and especially sharp French niche firms I could name that are good at those.

I've found Christine Lagarde a bit "laborieuse", but who am I to judge? And her English seems a bit stiff and unnatural despite her years in Chicago, but the French never get very colloquial in English (as the anglo-saxons quite frequently do when they speak French...)

I love Jon Stewart, catch him so now and then on CNN.

[rocket]

Dodo

(Charles nous retrouvera bien la dernière raillerie de Roket à mon encontre)

Pauvre cherie!

[azloon]

DADA

the linked Steven Colbert clip is classic. i watched that 'roast' live on C-SPAN here and cringed as Bush wriggled in his seat unsure whether he thought it was funny or was furious (both i think). Colbert persisted in the routine, never backing off even a bit, even tho much of the audience was totally embarrassed at this not-so-subtle attack on the President. It was later revealed Bush didn't think too much of Colbert's routine, though i am sure he isn't subtle enough himself to have 'got' much of it.

for French readers, Colbert (he calls his show the 'Kolh-bear Ray-porr" in mock french) was one one of John Stewart's 'faux' news reporters before starting his own show. he claims his news program is characterized by 'truthiness.'

[azloon]

[Beau joueur, je ne vais même pas relever vos erreurs de Français] Dodo

pour laquelle je suis reconnaissante, sauf que vous avez les apporté à la lumière par les mentionner. si vous obtenez seulement un B +. :) (Valentin would get a D in the matter of linguistic tolerance :))

Dodo, you have made such a point of Roquet/Roket being a 'troll,' i just thought i would 'tweak' you a little since your post on the current subject was so bombastic.

so, don't be so TOUCHY !! Remember, it takes leather balls to play rugby.

Qwerty

re big french deals

so i guess the money Baker McKinsey spent of Christine did the trick.

[Daniel Strohl]

ROCKET,

"As a footnote, Mme Lagarde is the individual who constantly revises her previsions downward as per economic growth and upward as per unemployment and deficit"

Rocket, you should from time to time read a few US-American papers regarding US-inland economic growth and unemployment and deficit, before making fun of others.

En d'autres termes, vous avez encore perdu une occasion de vous taire! Heureusement que le ridicule ne tue plus, sinon nous n'aurions plus le plaisir de lire vos commentaires de haut vol :).

[DODO]

[Encore une fois, je rappelle à tout le monde que le français est aussi apprecié que l'anglais sur ce blog. CB]

Merci Charles.
Tous les francophones qui postent sur votre Blog comprennent l'Anglais, sinon que feraient-ils ici ? et tous les anglophones ici comprennent le Français, sinon que feraient-ils ici ?

=======
Pauvre cherie!

Posted by: rocket | 30 Apr 2009 20:14:47

Et vous vouliez dire quoi avec ça ?

[DODO]

"i would 'tweak' you a little since your post on the current subject was so bombastic. "
Posted by: azloon | 30 Apr 2009 20:47:02

Azloon.

I regret you did not paid attention to my "Charles : Je peux troller moi aussi ?"

My poor translation, and my poor attempt to be ironical : "May I also play like a troll ?"
followed by a message "a la Roket"...

[christopher muir]

Christine Lagarde appeared a few months ago on the PBS Lehrer news programme. She answered tough questions in excellent English, was poised and modest when describing her ascent to political power. Yet, I've seen some articles ridiculing her as a minister.

[Rick]

‘Tous les francophones qui postent sur votre Blog comprennent l'Anglais, sinon que feraient-ils ici ? et tous les anglophones ici comprennent le Français, sinon que feraient-ils ici?’

I’d have thought the idea of a Paris correspondent’s blog was to foster an interest in France and the French among English readers - not to fling their shortcomings in their faces!

[Some French-speakers who read English may feel uncomfortable writing in English and therefore refrain from contributing. So I encourage them to write in French. Some readers may not understand but a great many do. CB]

[DODO]

As an outsider from the elite technocracy, she is flanked by junior ministers who run the financial machine.
Lagarde is a non-politician who was brought into the government in 2005.
CB

Il y a eu un précédent : René Monory, ex garagiste, qui a accédé aux plus hautes responsabilités n'ayant ( je crois)
qu'un CAP de tourneur.
Raymond Barre, premier ministre de Giscard, l'avait convoqué.
"- Pour donner une couleur un peu plus polulaire au gouvernement le Président a pensé à vous comme Ministre de l'Industrie"
- Mais je n'y connais rien
- Ne vous inquiétez pas, il y a une équipe qui travaillera pour vous.
- Je vais y réfléchir.
- Non, le Président attend votre réponse maintenant, avant que vous ne sortiez.

[Daniel Strohl]

CHRISTOPHER,

"Yet, I've seen some articles ridiculing her as a minister"

Mme Lagarde has a brilliant mind, was a brilliant sport woman and has excellent looks. Furthermore, she has humour. This is way too much for the many envious and petty minds running around in cohorts...

[Judith]

Christine Legarde appeared on a late evening current affairs in Australia recently and impressed many who saw her, most for the first time. She was good on the BBC Hard Talk and I was delighted that, on one occasion when she was about to say something a little too direct, she managed to pull herself up in time. It would be sad if her openness were to provide an excuse for levering her out of her current position.

[Robert Marchenoir]

This post makes me notice that Charles is doing a great job of trying to explain French culture to "Anglo-Saxons", and vice-versa. Not a common talent, if you think of it.

[Daisy]

So what seems to emerge from these posts (aside from the Rocket-Dodo- Azloon troll symposium) is that Christine Lagarde does better in English than she does in French.

[R Bingham]

Perhaps Brown could offer her a job - replacing Darling?

[azloon]

Dodo

I DID notice your ironic mention of perhaps entering le territorire de trolls vous-meme. :)

My real point with you was more about your letting Roquet get 'under your skin.'

He is an unlikely character, i.e. a highly conservative ('right-wing') U.S.. Republican who has adopted Europe's most leftist state as his home (although France may not have 'adopted' him, to judge from comments here :)). He IS the proverbial fox in the hen-house.

Much of what Rocket writes is hard even for me to swallow. I fight intellectual battles with people like Rocket all the time over here. They are maddening. But many of them are my friends and I accept their neanderthal view of the world without believing it myself. And remember, he attacks the liberal american left as furiously as he does France (or as we might say, he is an 'equal opportunity' assassin).

But even Rockets biggest detractors here often concede that his criticisms of France and French life are not totally without merit.

I think people like Rocket (openly insulting) are not as common in France as in the U.S., so your surprise and offense is slightly disproportionate. They tend to be black and white thinkers, but to their credit, you never have to wonder where they stand on various issues (or said another way, they are predictable to a fault).

The question is often asked of Rocket: why does he bother living in France while holding such strong negative sentiment about his adopted country?

I am aware that France will not extradite persons accused in captital murder cases if they would be facing the death penalty upon returning to the u.s. But I don't think that is the explanation. :):)

I just think Rocket sees value in 'calling it like he sees it,' not particularly caring if he offends his host country. And a blog is a perfect place to do that in contrast to telling his 'truth' to his french neighbors (even if he is 'out of the cheap, poorly-sealed french envelope").

I have to admit I would find it irritating to discover a French Roquet in our midst who continually pointed out to me all my american shortcomings, even though I clearly realize that I have them.

No, I am not on Rocket's payroll and neither he nor anyone else asked me for this apologia. It is offered in he spirit of CB's ongoing effort to bridge the culture gap between AS'S and Frogs. :)

I wish I could write this in French while maintaining a modicum of nuance, but, alas, il n'est pas possible pour moi. Google Translate will probably produce some hilarious garble that may be worth it all by itself. (GIGO, garbage in, garbage out?). BTW, try going from Mandarin Chinese to English if you want to laugh yourself senseless (suggest a dating website for Chinese women, not that I'd know anything about that)..

[GAG]

My contribution to explain French culture to Anglo-Saxons:

1st May.

Jean-Pierre G ------- has just passed below my window with the anti-government demonstration. He’s carrying the same banner he has carried for many years; he’s painted over Mitterrand, Jospin, and Chirac and replaced them with Sarkozy. Jean-Pierre is a union delegate for a large automotive company, yet it’s many years since he worked on the production lines. The union membership at Jean-Pierre’s company is 6% of the workforce. Jean-Pierre believes private money is bad, public money is good. Jean-Pierre thinks the middle classes and rich should pay more income tax, although Jean-Pierre has never paid income tax, just like 50% of the population. Jean-Pierre also works as a local councilor, his salary from that is tax free. Jean-Pierre is married with two grown up children. His wife is a civil servant. Both his children went to university, both received maximum grants, both gained university accommodation without a problem. Jean-Pierre always holidays in the south, in subsidized accommodation, of course.

I wish I could be more like Jean-Pierre.

[Rick]

Bravo, GAG!!

[qwerty]

eh bien, not bad at all l'humour français non plus... cf. yann barthes on canal plus:

http://player.canalplus.fr/#/237773

(particularly the last moment de solitude of R. Bachelot)

[azloon]

GAG

sounds like a Nouvelle Vague film story line (Jean-Pierre Leaud, as an aging Antoine Doinel, in the role of the anonymous J-P ----??) .

he sounds soulless, Dostoyevsky-like, on a death march, a french Ivan Denisovich.

you're joking about envy, yes?

I would, though, take a subsidized vacation if they put me up at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills for a month (or even twenty-four hours).

[Daniel Strohl]

AZLOON,

"in contrast to telling his 'truth' to his french neighbors"

There is obviously nil risk to get one's nose punched while telling unpleasant "truthes" on a blog. In the real world, this might occasionally happen :).

GAG,

Very good description of Jean-Pierre! Unfortunately, there are many of the like. Most of them are stupid and bad-faithed enough not to appreciate what they have got in their (my :) own country - always criticising, but never trying to create something (for instance a small business) where they could demonstrate their intellectual abilities and earn money to help less gifted other people :).

[rocket]

Azloon

Posted by: azloon | 26 Apr 2009 15:48:39

"Likewise, Sego might consider apologizing to the world for France's infantile reaction to financial 'hard times' rather than for Tsarko's behavior.

How, ever, did France come to stand out as the big crybaby of Europe?

It looks like the Tsarko revolution (more personal responsibility) is over, and it's back to the usual 'gimme, gimme, gimme' by the disaffected (everyone?).

Instead of donning masks, demonstrators might consider wearing nipple beanies."

and you said

"Much of what Rocket writes is hard even for me to swallow. I fight intellectual battles with people like Rocket all the time over here. They are maddening."

And you dare criticize me!

Lay off the drink pal when you write!

"He is an unlikely character, i.e. a highly conservative ('right-wing') U.S.. Republican who has adopted Europe's most leftist state as his home (although France may not have 'adopted' him, to judge from comments here :)). He IS the proverbial fox in the hen-house."

You don't know dick about me nor who I am. I ain't no conservative! I call connerie(oh sorry Az, I'll save you a Babelfish.. stupidity) on both sides)

[Scotian]

"what's most amazing about her is that she really 'gets' and enjoys american humor."

I would have never thought of Stewart as typical of American humor (Shouldn't we say "humour" on Times blogs ?). I enjoy him but I believe he's more (Rocket would say "biased") on the liberal New-Yorkie side, say on the other side of the Sarah Palin rift...

[Clemence de Roch]

Ms Lagarde did fine, but she makes the common mistake to call "Social Security" what in English is National Health. Social security in the US is the State pensions system (les retraites), not la Sécurité sociale.

[azloon]

Rocket says:

[You don't know dick about me nor who I am. I ain't no conservative! I call connerie(oh sorry Az, I'll save you a Babelfish.. stupidity) on both sides)]

is it just me, Rocket, or are you actually becoming more crazed by the minute? a 'bad hair' day, peut-etre?

as for your quotes of mine, i do happen to agree with you on points you make about certain french issues/attitudes, something i suggested in my post. but your u.s. politics are abhorrent to me, mean-spirited like the luminaries of Fox News. my revulsion with them (Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly and their despicable, crypto-fascist ilk) is where i fall into agreement with prevailing european, even French, views of u.s. conservatives, and against the bigoted, petty-minded selfishness which i have occasionally detected in your comments..

the fact that you aren't able to reconcile my agreements and disagreements with you, in a way that let's you make sense of your world suggests to me that subtlety and nuance are not your strong suit, that 'black-white' thinking is much easier for your brain to grasp.

oh well, it is what it is.

--------

Scotian,

john stewart is the 'news' source of choice for an entire generation of u.s. young adults (including my three thirty-somethings) who, not unexpectedly, are liberal and who elected obama.

so if not american humo(u)r per se, he certainly is the future of u.s. humor. and it's not only new york humour, it's national in scope, inclined toward the metrosexual.

[christopher muir]

DANIEL -

I agree with you (I'm in battle with my Mac system which now generally refuses me access to the blog, very annoying, but I got through just now after thirteen tries.) I've always admired intelligent French women, and Lagarde is us a great example.

[rocket]

Azloon

"How, ever, did France come to stand out as the big crybaby of Europe?

It looks like the Tsarko revolution (more personal responsibility) is over, and it's back to the usual 'gimme, gimme, gimme' by the disaffected (everyone?).

Instead of donning masks, demonstrators might consider wearing nipple beanies."

Where are my comments more hard hitting than yours and I only am quoting one blog post. Maybe you don't like my form.

As per the Fox news comparison.

1. I don't care for it.
2. I do watch it from time to time when I am in the US to have an idea of opposing viewpoints.
3. I don't care for the opinions of B. O'Reilly much nor Sean Hannity, nor Oprah, nor Greta, nor Nancy Grace. I strongly dislike and I repeat I dislike the opinions of Ann Coulter.
4. I support freedom of choice as per abortion and yada yada yada.

I don't understand how you can classify me a conservative. I never vote a party line. Some issues I have conservative views other issues my perspective is more liberal.

One thing I am definitely not is a Socialist.

[Daniel Strohl]

"and Lagarde is us a great example" (CHRISTOPHER).

Yes, to you and me! This is however not the case of a great part of the French political world (left or right), where the prerequisite to a high level career means to have got the right "cursus" (course of study).

The adequate cursus should include at least a good "Grande Ecole" + l'Ecole Nationale d'Administration. The output ranking may have an influence, but is not necessarily preponderant. The diplomas are the main and indispensable criterion.

"Unfortunately", Mme Lagarde does not fit in this template (nor, BTW, does Sarkozy :). Both are "parvenus" in the thinking of our high level elite. Of course, none of the latter says this overtly ("one never knows" !), but they are thinking it strong enough to allow me (and many others as well :) to decipher their relevant brain waves in Eastern France or elsewhere, 500 kms away from Paris :).

PS: hereafter a link to a short Wikipedia article in English regarding Mme Lagarde and her cursus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Lagarde

[azloon]

Rocket

you and i agree about a lot of things relating to government/business efficiency, of which there are many negative examples in France. you seem to have a handle on all of those.

i have always assumed though, from your comments, that we have nearly diametrically opposed views about u.s. politics.

your profession of not being a 'conservative' rings false to me. this may be a case of you thinking you're more open-minded/liberal that you actually are. or, that i don't know 'dick' about conservatism (i do).

to say that you aren't a socialist belabors the obvious.

[ph-g.Tréca]

Remercions Mr Daniel STROHL de la sage lucidité de ses jugements sur Mme LAGARDE / cerveau brillant , lucidité et honnêteté intellectuelle quand elle refuse" l'angélisme" et
reste créative pour combattre les jours terriblement dangereux qui ns arrivent ds les prochains mois en matière économique.HUMOUR AUSSI , loyauté à son chef d'Etat ,et enfin -the last but not the least- le bon goût sobre et élégant des femmes françaises ( j'apprécie , oui ) .
sOYONS SERIEUX / ELLE EST UN GRANDfrançais , aux Finances où cela n'est pas facile quand les Etats occidentaux ns préparent un horrible réveil qu'elle laisse entendre .
Alors de l' humour oui mais pas de pirouettes verbales , messieurs les critiques , vs ns faites perdre trop de temps avec vos âneries (pour rester courtois ) .
Travaillons à" limiter la casse au mieux" .