French Press Review 22 December 2017

Le Monde’s editorial looks to Poland and the news that the European Union (EU) has launched disciplinary measures against the country. The EU says Poland's government has been interfering with the judiciary by lowering retirement ages for current supreme court judges and handing powers to the President and the minister of justice.

"What a paradox it is," says the paper. "Under the Soviet regime, Poland was at the forefront of the anti-communist struggle.

Having played an active part in the break-up of the Soviet empire, the country was a pioneer of the transition to a market economy. It was, in short, a model student of European integration."

Threat of sanctions

Now it is being accused of "a serious and persistent violation of the EU's values".

The threat of sanctions waits in the wings, notably the suspension of Poland’s voting rights within the European Council.

Populism and the extreme right have made progress in EU, says Le Monde. "Today they represent a political force that participates in several governments."

"Despite their criticisms of Brussels, these governments clearly believe that it is in their interest to remain members of the European club. But it must be clear to all that membership involves respecting the EU's rules and values."

"The first of these rules is the rule of law. This is one of the foundations of European democracy. And as such, it is not negotiable."

SNCF on the rails

Libération turns its sights to the French National Railway Corporation, SNCF.

Yesterday judges ruled that the corporation would have to face involuntary manslaughter charges over a fatal crash in 2015 that left 11 people dead.

Judges ruled that SNCF was criminally negligent after a two-year investigation.

It is the end of a 'Black Year' for the national train operator, says Libération.

But the corporation must be defended. Of course, there have been errors, and the failures of the past must be corrected but the network is more than just a business.

It's a national treasure, less polluting than other modes of transport and based on something Libération is always rather keen on "an egalitarian philosophy" which links citizens and territories with each other.

The paper has criticism for the TGV -- France's high-speed train -- which it says was expensive to build and serves mainly the elites in urban centres while draining funding from the lines that serve the masses.

But the good old national train network remains a decisive instrument in modern France.

More than that, it's a democratic symbol and an institution of the Republic, says the paper.

Europe's pride and joy

And over in Le Figaro, there's more national pride with news that The Economist has named France its country of the year.

Every year since 2013, the British weekly newspaper has named a nation that it feels has made the most positive contribution to the world in the past 12 months and 2017 was France's year.

In the eyes of the British weekly, France had seemed beyond reform this time last year, stuck between "sclerosis and xenophobia" but all that was changed by the election of Emmanuel Macron.

His party, despite being stuffed full of political novices, has overthrown the old guard, swept out the ancient regime and crushed the ultra-nationalist Marine Le Pen.

If she had won, the European Union would have been destroyed.

Instead, it is the pride of Europe.