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French press review 15 March 2018

Is President Macron snubbing third-age citizens in his agenda for France?

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We start with comments about the tense diplomatic standoff between Britain and Russia over the spy poisoning affair. This is after British Prime Minister Theresa May ordered the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats assigned to London and the suspension of high-level contacts with Moscow prompting threats of retaliation from the Kremlin.

Le Parisien reports that the British government now considers Russia as "culpable" of the nerve agent poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Britain who were found in a serious condition in the cathedral city of Salisbury southwest of London on March 4.

Le Journal de la Haute-Marne claims that Theresa May's resolute stance on the issue is bound to give her some aura at a time when her authority is weakened by tough Brexit negotiations.

The paper argues that in stark contrast to May's situation, President Vladimir Putin, faces no defeat in upcoming elections and can only reap political capital from the British accusations --and consolidate his authority over Russia as a fearless war leader capable of taking on any one.

For Sud-Ouest, if May's gamble is to wreck Vladmir Putin's re-election on Sunday, then it is lost in advance. As the paper explains, the sanctions announced by Britain will only reinforce Russian nationalism around the tsar as it happened during the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

On the other hand, as the publication points out, Putin must be nursing some hard feelings about the risks of this crisis hurting Russia's successful hosting of the 2018 football World Cup as well as his plans to impose a pax Rissica or Russian-brokered peace deal in Syria.

La Nouvelle République du Centre ouest claims that while some observers see the crisis as an improvised diversionary tactic and smoke screen on the part of Theresa May, London and Moscow are heading for a tense confrontation at the UN Security Council with the United States waiting to jump in on Britain's side.

Some of today's papers take up the narrow confirmation by the German parliament of Chancellor Angela Merkel's re-election for a fourth and likely final term at the helm of Europe's biggest economy.

Le Figaro reports that on Wednesday lawmakers in Berlin's glass-domed Reichstag voted 364-315 with nine abstentions for Merkel, who was then formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier before taking the oath of office.

Le Parisien says that the secret ballot suggested 35 MPs of her new right-left coalition bloc voted against Merkel, giving her a thin nine-vote margin above a simple majority that opposition parties were quick to label a "rocky start" for a spent and joyless governing alliance.

According to Le Monde no one needs to be deceived by the illusion of German stability. As the paper observes it took Merkel a record 25 weeks to form a new government notwithstanding the massive presence the far-right Alternative for Germany in the Bundestag who show that the country is less stable than it appears to be.

L'Opinion holds that tough challenges similar to those encountered by her previous await Merkel 4. That according to the paper is bad news fot the French who were expecting their so-called "strict neighbours" to soften their intransigent vision of economic and monetary policy.

The right-wing publication says the French had also been banking on the new Merkel accepting their long-nurtured idea of debt mutualization by countries whose destiny depends on the euro.

Le Figaro draws President Emmanuel's attention to a trench warfare retired citizens are preparing to wage against him, if he continues to leave the condition of the elderly out of his priorities.

According to the paper, Macron has been frank about directing his action towards the working class and not retired people, a priority justified by the urgency of reining in on long-term massive unemployment.

But Le Figaro warns that Macron no only runs the risk of losing the rock solid core of his electorate but also of coming across to people as the President of a double fracture in French society  --geographical and generational split between the working class and a neglected countryside folk.

L'Humanité jumps to the defence of third-age citizens dismissing government accusations that they are driven by selfish grudges.

For the Communist newspaper it should never be forgotten that most retired citizens spend their time weaving bonds of solidarity between generations, helping the children and grandchildren, working for charity and spending like every other consumer.

According to l'Humanité, rendering them poorer will only aggravate the crisis in society. And the publication wonders if there is any logic in creating packs of old impoverish citizens in a society already driven by an ideological war between the poor and the wealthy.

 

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