French press review 10 May 2014

Africa has pride of place in the national papers today.

Le Monde acknowledges the victory of a weakened Jacob Zuma from the 7 May general elections in South Africa. According to the paper, Zuma aged 72 is hemmed in by scandals, notably the illegal spending of 17 million euros of taxpayer money to upgrade his private residence in his Nkandla hometown and charges within the ANC of lacking a vision for the country.

Le Monde reports that despite becoming a liability, Zuma is sure to be re-elected by lawmakers when Parliament reconvenes on the 21st of May, on the strength of the ANC’s 62.5 percent victory in the polls. The score is 3 points short compared to the ruling party’s performance in the 2009 elections, observes Le Monde. It underlines the strong results of the Democratic Alliance which claimed 22 percent of ballots cast, 5 percent above their last tally while the young Freedom Fighters’ movement of ex-ANC youth leader Julius Malema becomes the country’s third political party after scoring 6 percent of the national ballot.

President Catherine Samba Panza of the Central African Republic marks her first one hundred days in office with an interview to Le Monde. She speaks of mixed results when asked about her record in restoring a sense of normalcy to the war-ravaged country. Samba Panza also told the French daily that the Central African Republic is suffering from its divisions and the lack of patriotism. She reiterates her conviction that they have a responsibility in shaping their own destiny despite the crucial role played by the international community to restore peace and a sense of normalcy in the country.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to take President François Hollande on a heart-warming trip to the picturesque Baltic coastal town of Stralsund draws a comment from Le Figaro. According to the paper while the visit may have helped the Franco-German couple to warm their often uneasy personal ties, they face mounting common challenges spanning from EU politics to the Ukraine crisis. For the right-wing journal, with euro sceptics widely tipped to win the upcoming European elections just two weeks away, the couple badly needs the fresh Baltic sea air.

Le Figaro argues that the philosophical plea about the peaceful space and economic power which the 28-Nation community offers its people will not be enough to win over voters. According to the paper, the crisis has shown beyond any possible doubt that economies are managed and peace won. Le Figaro argues that the EU’s inability to champion bold initiatives on issues such as the harmonisation of fiscal and social policies, debt management, energy independence, Ukraine and defence, leaves citizens with the impression that they are drifting out to sea.

And talking about Ukraine Le Monde is flabbergasted by the Kremlin’s changing tone which once again has proven that the initiative is with Vladmir Putin and not the Western allies who spend their time wielding threats of sanctions against Russia.

According to the paper, he is blowing hot and cold with panache and setting the pace of a mini-cold war which is setting in at the dawn of the 21st century. It points to Putin’s call on the pro-Russian separatists to postpone their self determination referendum, and to free the OECD observers detained in eastern Ukraine.

Le Monde also notes his more significant decision he has taken to withdraw 40,000 Russian forces deployed at the border with Ukraine and his decision to stop calling the transitional government in Kiev a fascist junta. Le Monde says Putin’s changing rhetoric raises the prospects of negotiations which the Western allies must seize without dithering.

And Libération can’t wait until 2016 to endorse Hilary Clinton as the next President of the United States. The left-leaning newspaper publishes an 8-page special supplement on the former US First Lady who it claims has become the Democrat Party’s firm favourite and it's not concealing her ambitions to become the first woman to lead the United States.

Libé investigates how President Barack Obama’s former rival and Secretary of State is discreetly fine tuning her campaign strategy while cultivating suspense over her presidential ambitions, with her husband and ex-US President Bill Clinton waiting to put his legendary popularity among democrats at her disposal.