France General Discussion IV: Yellow Fever

[NewYorkExpress]

Paris got fined 90,000 Euros for hiring too many women to senior positions.

Paris city authorities have been fined for employing too many women in senior positions, a decision mocked as absurd by the mayor, Anne Hidalgo, on Tuesday.

The fine of €90,000 (£81,000) was demanded by France’s public service ministry on the grounds that Paris city hall had broken national rules on gender parity in its 2018 staffing.

“I am happy to announce that we have been fined,” Hidalgo, a member of the Socialist party, told a city council meeting, adding that she had been filled with joy when she learned of the penalty.

Hidalgo said she was faulted because 11 women and only five men were named to management positions in city hall in 2018, meaning that 69% of the appointments went to women.

“The management of the city hall has, all of a sudden, become far too feminist,” said Hidalgo, who was re-elected for a new term at the helm of Paris last year.

According to the text of the ruling cited by Le Monde, city hall violated a rule dating to 2013 that stipulates one sex should not account for more than 60% of nominations to management positions.

[NewYorkExpress]

Prosecutors are probing anti-semitic tweets aimed at the first-runner up of this year's Miss France competition.

The Paris prosecutor office opened an investigation Monday after the minister in charge of citizenship, Marlène Schiappa, filed a complaint over anti-Semitic tweets targeting a Miss France contestant with Israeli roots.

April Benayoum, who represented the Provence region for the Miss France 2021 contest held on Saturday evening, finished the night as first runner-up. But her result was overshadowed by multiple anti-Semitic tweets that popped up after Benayoum mentioned her “Israeli-Italian” father when she presented herself.

“Uncle Hitler, you forgot to exterminate Miss Provence,” one tweet reads.

[Lechasseur]

https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2020/12/02/valery-giscard-d-estaing-ancien-president-de-la-republique-est-mort_6061969_3382.html

VGE has passed away. A bit before my time, but I thought "Ramenez la coupe à la maison" was a pretty good song.

RIP FF

[Estrella]

Something I stumbled across and that I'm sure some of you know: AJRElectionMaps, a DeviantArt account that makes some really, really good, er, election maps from all over the world, together with great writeups that explain what the hell actually happened.

Anyway, recently they made some maps for French elections right after WW2 that include results from African colonies, something I haven't seen before. 

French legislative election, November 1946

French legislative election, 1951

French legislative election, 1956

[Antonio the Sixth]

Something I stumbled across and that I'm sure some of you know: AJRElectionMaps, a DeviantArt account that makes some really, really good, er, election maps from all over the world, together with great writeups that explain what the hell actually happened.

Anyway, recently they made some maps for French elections right after WW2 that include results from African colonies, something I haven't seen before. 

French legislative election, November 1946

French legislative election, 1951

French legislative election, 1956

Ohhhhhh this is beautiful.

Edit: WOW this account is a goldmine. Whoever this person is, we need to invite them to join Atlas if they aren't here already.

[Hash]

While France appears to be vaccinating one person a week, the selection of the "citizens collective" charged with commenting on the coronavirus vaccination strategy has started! What is this thing, you ask? Well, you're in for a treat.

The 35 members of this 'collective' will be selected... at random (respecting the criteria of age, gender, region, education, occupation and residence). They will then be asked, on a scale of 1 to 5, if they intend to get vaccinated...

This 'collective' will be able to advise the government and to make comments about it, but it will have no decision-making powers.

Yes, it's really f_cking stupid. The 'vaccination strategy' should be very simple: manufacture the stupid thing, vaccinate people and repeat until we get rid of this dystopian nightmare. There is no need to waste everybody's time by selecting 35 random people off the street.

Of the populist miracle solutions proposed for France's democratic representivity/political apathy woes, selecting a group of citizens at random (including, hypothetically, for the election of deliberative or legislative bodies), is definitely the most annoying and stupidest ones - so, it makes sense that galaxy brain Macron will be enamoured with that one.

Mélenchon's 2017 platform made mention that his proposed constituent assembly to create a sixth republic was to be drawn at random (but did not offer much more details beyond that), and drawing people at random was among the plethora of direct democracy ideas supported by gilets jaunes factions.

Macron, in stead of any coherent and substantive political reform ideas (like the citizens' initiative referendum, RIC, a much more prominent gilets jaunes direct democracy idea) in the aftermath of the gilets jaunes protests, embraced the idea of 'drawing people at random'. They did that, iirc, for parts of his silly 'Grand débat' in 2019 (remember that? No?good, that was the point) and for the 150 members of the 'Convention citoyenne pour le climat'. I suppose it's a useful idea to provide a vague semblance of [fake] "citizen participation" without it having any real direct policy consequences

[CumbrianLefty]

Macron came up with an eye catching but superficial gimmick, you are saying??

Can't believe that

[NewYorkExpress]

The French Government is taking on unpaid child support.

France is launching a new government service empowered to take money directly from the bank accounts of parents who fail to pay child support, aiming to help many families — the vast majority of whom are headed by single mothers — emerge from precarious financial situations.

President Emmanuel Macron denounced in a tweet unpaid child support as “an unbearable situation for hundreds of thousands of single parents,” before visiting a benefits agency Tuesday in Tours, in central France, which is providing the new service.

“Thank you” for the measure, a single mother of three told Macron, detailing at length her personal situation, involving domestic violence and harassment from her ex-husband and deep financial difficulties. “That's a great relief," she said.

The mothers who spoke with Macron didn't provide their names because of privacy reasons.

French authorities estimate that between 30% and 40% of child support amounts are either not paid, only partially paid or paid too late — placing at least 300,000 families in financial insecurity.

[Lechasseur]

An interesting article for French speakers on the difficulties faced by current university students and recent graduates in France during Covid

https://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/societe/etudiants-l-isolement-social-menace-desormais-une-partie-de-la-generation-distancielle-20210112?fbclid=IwAR20k5C267uoqArQc0rhLsaI_XsLY2P6SFuXDBUr02xPnfxIlqYWStnsH4g

[NewYorkExpress]

France passes a law protecting the "sensory heritage" of it's rural areas.

France has passed a law protecting the "sensory heritage" of its rural areas, in the face of complaints about the noises and smells typical of the countryside.

Senators voted to approve the law, which passed through the lower house of parliament last year, on Thursday, according to a statement from Joël Giraud, the Minister for Rural Affairs.
Giraud said he celebrated the adoption of the law, which aims to "define and protect the sensory heritage of the French countryside."

Better understanding the typical "sounds and smells" of rural areas will be useful in "preventing disagreements between neighbors," the statement continued.

Regional authorities will be tasked with defining "rural heritage, including its sensory identity," Giraud said.

[NewYorkExpress]

Macron takes on incest.

France will tighten its laws on incest, the president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a series of tweets on Saturday, after the publication of a book accusing a top French political commentator of abusing his stepson sparked outrage across the country.

Macron said on his Twitter account that France needed to adapt its laws to better protect children from sexual violence and that he had asked the justice minister to chair a consultation aimed at quickly making legislative proposals. “We will go after the aggressors,” Macron said.

Macron said France had already increased the statute of limitations on incest to 30 years, counted from the legal age of majority of the victim, and had tightened controls on people working with children, but he said much more needed to be done.


He said that as part of current routine medical examinations for children, France would introduce sessions about incest in primary and secondary schools in order to give children a chance to talk about the issue.

[Zinneke]

Macron takes on incest.

France will tighten its laws on incest, the president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a series of tweets on Saturday, after the publication of a book accusing a top French political commentator of abusing his stepson sparked outrage across the country.

Macron said on his Twitter account that France needed to adapt its laws to better protect children from sexual violence and that he had asked the justice minister to chair a consultation aimed at quickly making legislative proposals. “We will go after the aggressors,” Macron said.

Macron said France had already increased the statute of limitations on incest to 30 years, counted from the legal age of majority of the victim, and had tightened controls on people working with children, but he said much more needed to be done.


He said that as part of current routine medical examinations for children, France would introduce sessions about incest in primary and secondary schools in order to give children a chance to talk about the issue.

The main conclusion of the Duhamel scandal for me at least is how much French elites think their affairs are internal affairs to their small circles rather than worthy of getting the authorities involved. Macron is just covering for them because he's a coward.

[Lechasseur]

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/le-brief-politique/emmanuel-macron-est-il-cuit-la-theorie-du-trou-de-souris-pour-2022_4247695.html

Interesting

Privately, a lot of major political figures believes Macron will lose in 2022 if he runs again. Even one of Macron's allies said anonymously that Macron may end up like Hollande and not be able to run again.

What people from both the left and the right are thinking is basically if Macron is against anyone other than Le Pen in 2022, he loses. And honestly, I agree. That's what I've been telling people too.

I think Macron and LREM would be best off having Macron retire here and have Edouard Philippe run instead.

I suspect either LR or the left will grow in strength here in the coming months as people are really tired of both Macron and Le Pen.

[NewYorkExpress]

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/le-brief-politique/emmanuel-macron-est-il-cuit-la-theorie-du-trou-de-souris-pour-2022_4247695.html

Interesting

Privately, a lot of major political figures believes Macron will lose in 2022 if he runs again. Even one of Macron's allies said anonymously that Macron may end up like Hollande and not be able to run again.

What people from both the left and the right are thinking is basically if Macron is against anyone other than Le Pen in 2022, he loses. And honestly, I agree. That's what I've been telling people too.

I think Macron and LREM would be best off having Macron retire here and have Edouard Philippe run instead.

I suspect either LR or the left will grow in strength here in the coming months as people are really tired of both Macron and Le Pen.

I think Le Pen beats Macron too.

[Mike88]

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/le-brief-politique/emmanuel-macron-est-il-cuit-la-theorie-du-trou-de-souris-pour-2022_4247695.html

Interesting

Privately, a lot of major political figures believes Macron will lose in 2022 if he runs again. Even one of Macron's allies said anonymously that Macron may end up like Hollande and not be able to run again.

What people from both the left and the right are thinking is basically if Macron is against anyone other than Le Pen in 2022, he loses. And honestly, I agree. That's what I've been telling people too.

I think Macron and LREM would be best off having Macron retire here and have Edouard Philippe run instead.

I suspect either LR or the left will grow in strength here in the coming months as people are really tired of both Macron and Le Pen.

I think Le Pen beats Macron too.

Unlikely. Macron may be unpopular and made a lot of stupid mistakes, but Le Pen is just too unacceptable. Like what Lechasseur said, if Macron faces someone else rather than Le Pen, it's Au revoir for Macron, but no one, until the moment, seems able to be the "moderate" alternative to Macron. Basically, right now, Le Pen is Macron's life insurance.

[Lechasseur]

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/le-brief-politique/emmanuel-macron-est-il-cuit-la-theorie-du-trou-de-souris-pour-2022_4247695.html

Interesting

Privately, a lot of major political figures believes Macron will lose in 2022 if he runs again. Even one of Macron's allies said anonymously that Macron may end up like Hollande and not be able to run again.

What people from both the left and the right are thinking is basically if Macron is against anyone other than Le Pen in 2022, he loses. And honestly, I agree. That's what I've been telling people too.

I think Macron and LREM would be best off having Macron retire here and have Edouard Philippe run instead.

I suspect either LR or the left will grow in strength here in the coming months as people are really tired of both Macron and Le Pen.

One thing I'll add is a lot of people plan on running for president this time because they believe Macron's ceiling is 18-20% in the first round, and LR and the left believe they can equal or better that. Macron isn't getting 24% this time so it becomes much more reachable.

[parochial boy]

On which note - time for a sHoCk PoLl!!! As well as a gratuitous hot take for fun

https://twitter.com/malopedia/status/1354502040198770690

Still think he'll win though - a think to remember is that there is still - enourmous - defiance towards basically the political spectrum in its entirety. I don't anyone who is already an established political name has a way past him; especially when that means like 10 candidate who all think they've got it. Macron does seem to have that 20% who'll stick with him no matter what.

Darmy also wants to ban Génération Identitaire now, cos one of them went on Hanouna's show or something and Darmy doesn't like it when other people are allowed to be more racist than him.

[Kingpoleon]

It is unwise to write off Macron too soon. He is the first person in almost a hundred years to take on major parties in a large Western democracy and throw them out of office - his electoral capabilities have far outpaced his governing capabilities, ironically similar to Trump.

[Estrella]

It is unwise to write off Macron too soon. He is the first person in almost a hundred years to take on major parties in a large Western democracy and throw them out of office - his electoral capabilities have far outpaced his governing capabilities, ironically similar to Trump.

De Gaulle and Berlusconi would like to have a word.

[Coldstream]

It is unwise to write off Macron too soon. He is the first person in almost a hundred years to take on major parties in a large Western democracy and throw them out of office - his electoral capabilities have far outpaced his governing capabilities, ironically similar to Trump.

De Gaulle and Berlusconi would like to have a word.

To be fair Berlusconi more stepped over their corpses than took them on.

[Kingpoleon]

De Gaulle and Berlusconi would like to have a word.

I don’t mean to be rude, but to pretend that Italy or France in the 1950s had some history of super dominant parties - like the UK, Canada, America, etc. - is really not the case. To be maximally generous to your position, Macron’s electoral feat is at least slightly more impressive than De Gaulle.

[Lechasseur]

It is unwise to write off Macron too soon. He is the first person in almost a hundred years to take on major parties in a large Western democracy and throw them out of office - his electoral capabilities have far outpaced his governing capabilities, ironically similar to Trump.

Tbf, for all intents and purposes Macron was the establishment PS candidate in 2017, he was really only running as an independent in name only. Macron was running to be Hollande's second term. The PS establishment overwhelmingly backed him.

[parochial boy]

De Gaulle and Berlusconi would like to have a word.

I don’t mean to be rude, but to pretend that Italy or France in the 1950s had some history of super dominant parties - like the UK, Canada, America, etc. - is really not the case. To be maximally generous to your position, Macron’s electoral feat is at least slightly more impressive than De Gaulle.

Christian Democracy and the PCI were dominant parties up until Italy up until the 90s. Berlusconi's ascension was pretty directly made possible as a reslult of Mani Pulite and the destruction of the First Republic's party system.

France has always had a weak party system, with new parties forming/splitting/merging all over the place - so it's a mistake to say that the RPR/UMP/LR-PS tandem of the end of th 20th century was really that "dominant", as it was always manifestly more precarious than was made out.

What France has had though, is pretty identifiable political traditions that go back decades, in which case Macron is pretty identifiably in the same non-Gaullist centre-right tradition as VGE and Bayrou.

[Zinneke]

Macron 2017 for sure but he has sort of changed the entire debate and cleavages (alongside a lot of media discourse helping him), something VGE and especially Bayrou were never able to do. People have their own opinions about the Macron Presidency, the social fora where political views are formed have also changed. He's a polarising figure in 2021. If LR run someone from the liberal wing (fat chance) you would see interesting patterns.

Also in terms of the characters, VGE was perhaps more Atlantacist and inspired from the American liberal tradition than Macron, even if France is more of US follower currently due to 2 quinquennats of "follow the White House" foreign policy.

[NewYorkExpress]

A Paris Court has ruled that France is not meeting the Paris Climate Accords.

A Paris court has found France legally responsible for its failure to meet targets intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The lawsuit was launched by four NGOs, including Greenpeace France and Oxfam France, following an online petition that gathered 2.3 million signatures -- the largest in French history, according to organizers.

Signatories hoped to "compel the State to take all necessary measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions" to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) target set by the Paris Agreement, according to the online petition.

The Paris Agreement was signed in 2016 by almost all the world's countries, and seeks to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
France, which brokered the pact, has committed to reducing greenhouse gases by 40% by 2030, and has set itself a target of being carbon neutral by 2050.

But NGOs accused the country's authorities of insufficient policy actions needed to tackle climate change, and said that greenhouse gas emissions under the current government "dropped at a pace that was twice as slow as the trajectories foreseen under the law."

Paris' administrative court on Wednesday ordered the state to pay one euro ($1.20) for moral damage to each of the associations behind the lawsuit, ruling that government failures "undermined the collective interests defended by each of the applicant associations," the court said in its official communiqué on the case.