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French weekly magazines review 15 July 2018

France prepares "royal coronation" for Didier Deschamps, as Les Bleus have one hand on the Football World Cup. 

French weekly magazines
French weekly magazines DR
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French football manager Didier Deschamps is the pinup star of this week's Marianne. The face of the 1998 World Cup winning captain is edited on an official portrait of a French President as he is on the verge of leading his youthful Les Bleus to an extraordinary crowning as World Champions at the World Cup final in Moscow this Sunday.

"Deschamps President", is the caption of the article consecrated on how he has imposed himself as France's most respected unifier, at least during the period of the World Cup.

Left-leaning Marianne notes that in picking his World Cup squad, Didier Deschamps did not hesitate in leaving out talented players he considered as less capable of integrating themselves in his team especially those who challenge his authority, something many leaders are not capable of doing, according to the magazine.

In the week when French President Emmanuel Macron summoned both houses of parliament to the opulent Versailles glass palace, for his second address to Congress, the commentators are divided on ideological lines about his record.

Right-wing Le Point says that President Macron proved to lawmakers that he didn't spend the past year sleeping.

The magazine says he laid out the early legislative successes of his first year in office, namely corporate tax cuts, the easing of labour laws, reforms to university entrance procedures and a revamp of the SNCF state rail operator.

According to the weekly, while Monsieur Macron has broken the long established dogma that equality can only be achieved through redistribution, his policies haven't gone far enough in introducing the new social mobility necessary for job creation, to fluidity the markets and open new horizons for economic growth.

Left leaning l'Obs says Macron's attempt to present himself as being a “humble” servant, contrasts with the monarchical and arrogant style of leadership he has shown since coming to office.

The French New Observer points to his plan to reduce the size of parliament, by one third, while concentrating powers in the Presidential palace.

According to the publication, the so-called "Sun” President’s admiration of “vertical” power was not just evident in the royal ceremonies he organizes in Versailles, but also at the transfer early this month of the remains of women's rights' icon Simone Veil, to the Pantheon where he was at the center of every image..

L'Obs recalls a recent speech Monsieur Macron made in which he used the very royal expression “my people” when referring to the French as "my people".

Le Point comes back on President Macron's visit to Africa this week, at a time it claims the continent is torn between the economic dynamism of nations like Nigeria and Rwanda and the security threat posed by Islamists in the Sahel.

The magazine argues that if the French leader attended the AU Summit in Mauritania and then flew Abuja and Lagos, it was in due recognition of the Continent’s role in shaping the destiny of the 21st century – demography, economic development, climate change or threats to global security.

From statistics published by the weekly, Africa's population is expected to grow from 1.3 billion today to 4.5 billion in 2100, its economy forecast at doubles digits over the same period.

Le Point argues that at these times when Africa is speeding up economic and cultural ties with China, India and Brazil, Europe are in no mood to be left out of the world's biggest market. President Macron is planning to hold an African “season” in Paris in 2020 according to the magazine.

 

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