French press review 27 July 2017

The Frenchman who helps illegal migrants is back in the news and will soon be back in court. What does the struggle between rival Islamist factions for the control of the north-western Syrian city of Idlib mean for European security? What will it take to clean up French political life? And can a man cycle around the world in 80 days?

Cédric Herrou is back in the news.

He's the guy who has already been arrested five times for the crime of helping illegal immigrants at his farm on the French side of the Alps near the Italian border.

On his last appearance in court he was sentenced to pay a 3,000-euro fine but let off by the judge. He's now back in custody and, this time, says Le Monde, the authorities may be less indulgent.

Herrou is accused of helping illegal migrants to enter the country. He could be sentenced to five years in jail and 30,000 euros in fines.

He was arrested on Monday at the railway station in the southern city of Cannes, along with 156 migrants who arrived at his mountain farm from Italy and who were on their way to demand asylum.

The 156 migrants were sent back to Italy. Cédric Herrou is currently under judicial control, the French equivalent of free on bail.

His lawyers say he has done nothing to attract migrants to his home but can hardly leave exhausted, hungry people without help after the difficult mountain crossing. He was arrested in Cannes while attempting to help migrants who were in difficulties because the asylum office in Nice was closed.

Is Idlib the new heart of international terrorism?

Le Figaro looks at the struggle between rival Islamist factions for the control of the north-western Syrian city of Idlib.

The conservative paper reports that al-Qaida fighters have displaced those of the Islamic State (IS) armed group after several months of savage fighting. In 2015 the two groups fought side by side to drive Syrian government troops from the city and surrounding province.

The zone is strategically crucial, says Le Figaro, because of its closeness to the Turkish border, a source of arms and fighters. It is also close to President Bashar al-Assad's home territory in Latakia.

Several commentators quoted by the right-wing daily say the Syrian branch of al-Qaida is actually more dangerous than IS, both for Turkey and for Europe.

The campaign to clean up French politics

Left-leaning Libération looks at government efforts to make French public life more honest.

Deputies are this week looking at three key areas: the employment of family members as parliamentary assistants, politicians' expense accounts and the parliamentary reserve, that 147-million-euro fund which deputies can dole out to worthy causes in their own constituencies.

Libé says the aim is a political sphere that is "whiter than white" but suggests that this fast wash is too timid on conflict of interest and lets the higher echelons of the executive and the civil service off the hook.

But the governing majority appears to have recognised at least one part of that error, changing the zone of application of the law from the original "public life" to the current "political action".

Around the World in 80 Days . . . on a bike!

Spare a thought for Mark Beaumont, the Scottish endurance athlete who left Paris earlier this month with the intention of going around the world in 80 days - on a bicycle.

The trip has been done before, in 2015 by a New Zealander called Andrew Nicholson. But it took him 123 days, that's 43 days outside the limit imposed by Jules Verne on his globe-trotting fictional character, Phileas Fogg.

In order to do better, much better. According to Le Monde's calculations, Mark Beaumont will have to spend 16 hours every day in the saddle, covering an average of 400km per day for nearly three months.

Beaumont knows the road. He's already done the trip, back in 2008, and that took him 194 days. He'll have to go faster this time. We'll keep you informed.