French press review 13 December 2010

It may still be 18 months away but the French presidential election continues to make the news on the front pages of the local newspapers.

Libération leads with “Le FN de papa,” meaning “Daddy’s National Front.” It’s an article about Marine Le Pen, daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, who currently heads the right-wing National Front party. And though she has tried to get away from her father's extreme nationalistic image, it appears she isn’t actually very different.

This comes after Marine Le Pen, who hopes to take over the National Front from her father, compared Muslim prayer to the occupation during World War II. She said that while there are no soldiers in the streets this time it still amounts to an occupation.

Libération's editorial says the National Front has changed - it has gotten more dangerous! Right-wing government’s are gaining seats and even winning elections across Europe. Some people have even accused French President Nicolas Sarkozy of adopting the National Front's strategy to help him win the election in 2012.

Staying with the elections, right-wing Le Figaro has put Saturday’s national UMP meeting on its front page. This comes not long after a government reshuffle, and new UMP leader Jean-François Copé says the party will show a united front or a “sacred union” as he calls it. The first step: the mobilisation against the National Front and the Socialist Party. A logical move if you want to win an election.

Communist paper l’Humanité’s main story reads: "One night with two homeless Parisians." It describes the regular night of a person with nowhere to go and it's a real tear-jerker. Homelessness is a big problem in France, especially in the capital. As it gets colder, many of them end up freezing to death, and according to the paper, 341 people have already died this winter.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said that when it's this cold, shelters cannot refuse people but there are just not enough beds. Humanitarian organisations have been calling on the government to step up. So far, all they can do is set up provisional beds in public buildings, as well as hand out thermal blankets for those who do have to sleep in the street.

On a lighter note, Aujourd’hui en France headlines on the snow - it’s coming back! It might look pretty, but already last week heavy snowfall caused disruption across the country. Flights were cancelled, roads were closed, and some people had to spend the night in their cars.

The paper interviewed Junior Minister of Transport Thierry Mariani, who says authorities are ready this time but that it will be a difficult week. When asked if he felt the Paris region was not properly prepared, he said that investing in gritters is not the right step forward, since it normally doesn’t snow much in Ile-de France.

And finally in Libération, a must read for any dad.

“Like every parent, one day they asked themselves what to wear to go and pick up their child from the police station,” the article reads.

It’s about two dads who have written a book called The Guide for the Neveraging Father. The subtitle reads “actually, the truth about teenagers…and it’s not very pretty.”

It’s not the first time Pierre Antilogus and Jean-Louis Fesjens have got together to share their vision of parenthood. In 1988, they wrote The Guide for Young Fathers - a bestseller that was translated into 20 languages, turned into a comic book and even a play.