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French press review 24 August 2017

François Hollande is making a comeback in the French press this morning, although the limelight still goes to his successor, as Macron pushes for EU reforms in Eastern and Central Europe... The plight of migrants in Libya is the other top story, with the first of a series of special reports.

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François Hollande is back in the game, according to Le Figaro, and we'll be hearing a lot more from the former French president in the months to come.

The conservative paper is reacting to Hollande’s comments to the press on Tuesday, where he criticised Emmanuel Macron’s plans to reform labour legislation.

Le Figaro says this is all part of a vast spin operation which could be named “Make Hollande Great Again”.

It says Hollande has been waiting for France’s economy to pick up in order to rehabilitate his own legacy, and gain of influence on the Socialist Party, which he led for 11 years.

Le Figaro has some harsh words for the former French president in its editorial:

“Help, Hollande is back, and he hasn’t changed!”, it says.

"You can imagine how irritated, or even angry, Macron must have been, when he heard the remarks."

The President wants to liberalise the French labour code to give companies more of a say over working conditions, and make it easier for them to hire and fire people.

When it comes to its old socialist foe, the paper seems to not only side with Macron, but to whisper in his ear. It wants to advise him to be bold and determined, unlike Hollande, as he passes laws that most of France’s European neighbors have already adopted.

Macron's EU offensive

Le Figaro’s tirade against Hollande seems to reveal a nostalgia for the good old days, when it could criticise the Socialist government week-in week-out.

Libération on the other hand is more bothered about the present, as it discusses Macron’s efforts to reform EU rules on the employment abroad of workers from low-pay countries.

As things stand, "posted" workers can be sent to other EU states on contracts that must guarantee the host country's minimum wage, but that allow the workers to pay taxes and social charges their home country.

But Macron says the system creates unfair competition in wealthier nations like France.

And according to Libération, he's now going on the offensive.

As he continues his three-day tour in Eastern and Central Europe this week, he'll be putting pressure on countries like the Czech Republic and Slovakia, to overhaul the legislation.

In its editorial, Libération says that deep down, Macron is right, and that the system under which workers can avoid paying social charges in the country they work in has gotten out of hand.

"The spectre of social dumping has materialised", its editorial reads, "creating suspicion among workers and giving eurosceptics a solid argument, which they've used successfully."

Libération says Macron's diplomatic style might be a bit too forceful, but that it's urgent EU members take the matter seriously, before "chauvinists" and "populists" exploit the idea of the EU being an area of wild competition between workers.

The plight of sub-saharan migrants

Le Monde is running the first of a series of reports on the life of sub-saharan migrants in Libya.

Before they get to Europe, they fall victim to traffickers, who often torture them, enslave them, and ask for ransom money, according to the report.

In its editorial, Le Monde says the number of migrants arriving in Europe has been significantly reduced this year.

But this isn’t necessarily good news: Libya is a just transit country. This means that, for now, it’s more likely that migrants will be trapped there, in inhumane conditions.

"To tackle migration, the EU will have to work with Libya, but should we outsource migration control to a country with a failing state, where militia and traffickers work together?" the paper asks.

Le Monde says the EU “will have to keep its eyes open”, and look into how its aid is used on the ground, to avoid being an accomplice in these crimes.

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