French press review 14 April 2016

The French press also marks two years since more than 200 shcool girls were sized in Chibok in northen Nigeria. Meanwile,  President Hollande is on French television this evening to talk about his presidency, while there are reports of influence peddling at France Television. Meanwhile, French footballing star Karim Benzema  has been sidelined from the French squad for Euro 2016 over his role in the Valbuena sex tapes.

DR

Le Figaro

Mystery surrounds the fate of the more than 250 Nigerian school girls abducted  from their Chibok college campus in north eastern Borno state. Le Figaro says that while the world has rallied behind the "Bring Back Our Girls" campaign there is still  uncertainty about their whereabouts.

Meanwhile, the right-wing publication attributes the restoration of a sense of security in the insurgency-ravaged eastern Borno State to President Mohamadou Buhari's election.

Le Figaro credits the ex-junta leader for "ending a general perception" in the north that the federal government of Goodluck Jonathan was "insensitive to their misfortune".

Le Figaro also commends Buhari for "putting the breaks on outrageous corruption in the military", notably in the office of the National Security adviser where almost half of the five billion dollars allocated for the purchase of weapons, during the previous administration was diverted through "fictitious contracts".

"Survival operation", "Francois Hollande faces cameras, his back to the wall". This is how some leading publications describe President Francois Hollande's scheduled appearance on prime time television tonight.

The conservative daily says a year to the 2017 presidential elections, Hollande," at the lowest level in the polls" and after so many poor performances on television "has no space for mistakes".

"It is his last chance", asserts the paper, adding that "if there is anyone to convince during the 90 minute show it is his electorate."

La Croix

To find out more, the Catholic newspaper travelled to the state capital Maiduguri where it met with survivors of the Boko Haram raids.

They include Asabe Kwambula, who is still principal teacher of the Chibok Government Secondary School, now without students.

Kwambula speaks to the newspaper about her new life as a small farmer, 100 kms north of the school that used to be her "raison d'etre".

Although hopes of ever finding the children remain slimp, Mrs Asabe Kwambula said she "will never find peace until she knows what has happened to her girls".

Le Monde

"President Hollande is banking on the "Citizens Dialogue" program to regain his standing ,but  the Socialists, lawmakers and even his own ministers doubt his ability to re-energize the Left".

It's  'the hour of recking for the Head of State", agrees La Croix. The Catholic daily argues that" by insisting on positioning himself at the middle of the political chessboard, Hollande has unconsciously drifted to the right thereby severing ties with a substantial portion of his left-leaning political base".

Libération

"Is the public broadcaster France Televisions a channel under influence?

The left-leaning paper Libération says the question is motivated by "suspicions of complicities" that have led to the changes in the schedule of news programs.

According to the left-leaning paper, "the level of distrust" in France's largest media house "is such that journalists have called a General Assembly for the day President Francois Hollande is due to appear on the France 2 channel for a watershed interview.

L'Equipe

The exclusion of Real Madrid star Karim Benzema for France's Euro 2016 squad, over his suspected role in the Mathieu Valbuena sex tapes scandal attracts comments from some of today's papers.

Didier Deschamps took a "tough decision" headlines the sports daily. It explains that the French manager opted (with the support of French Football chief Nöel Le Graët), decided to dump the talented Benzema in conformity with the "principle of exemplary conduct", he set for Les Bleus". Le Figaro copmmends the "courageous and bold decision" adding that the sidelined Benzema will "not see the Euro in France".