La Parisienne of Cafébabel.com

Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel : Paris-Berlin (II)

BabelParis — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:17:00 +02:00

The tense relationship between Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel seems to have relaxed somewhat following the compromise over the «Mediterannean Union». Nevertheless the two leaders continue to give the impression of indulging in battle and seem incapable of reviving the Franco-German axis.

Too gaulish a vision of the mare nostrum

Incompatibilities of temperament are not the only culprits in this matter and they do not quite mask the fundamental differences which exist, most notably on the topic of the Mediterranean Union project, launched to the blare of trumpets under the initiative of the sovereignist Henri Guaino, special councillor to the French President, which the Germans consider a geopolitical prank. If they share the diagnosis that the Barcelona process was a failure (launched in 1995 to provide a framework for the relationship between the European Community and Mediterranean countries), they refuse to validate the proposition of a Union which would replace it and be reserved exclusively for countries bordering the Mediterranean. Here they detect the risk of a division in the EU and a strategy for bypassing it as this new structure, while giving France a driving rôle, would also exclude Germany and all the countries of Northern Europe by de facto. However, it is important to understand that the reunified Germany, in an expanded Europe, has, in a certain way, refound power and experienced a strategic rebalancing which is unfavourable for France. The former is better inserted into the global economy thanks to its industrial network of small, good quality businesses which export well (to see this it is enough to compare the two countries' levels of external trade).

This state of affairs is undoubtedly not unrelated to Angela Merkel's «victory», with the support of the European Commission, and also the flip side of what she inflicted on Nicolas Sarkozy over the Mediterranean file at the time of the European summit in Brussels of last March 15/16th. The construction site of that which will from now on be called the «Union for the Mediterranean», will therefore be a renewed framework for the Barcelona process, a «Barcelona plus» as put bluntly by the Prime Minister of Luxemburg, J.C. Juncker, in which all the countries of the EU will have a vocation to actively participate.

In the meantime, it is with a certain geostrategic tactlessness that, in the same breath as his disagreement with Berlin, Nicolas Sarkozy turned to the United Kingdom to celebrate a convergence of political viewpoints. The relative failure of this circumstantial manoeuvre, in the face of a country which remains fiercely insular, has once again highlighted the French President's slip up, wishing to appear to turn his back on the Franco-German cooperation and seek rebalancing elsewhere.

Imagination in power!

Beyond the relationship between the two personalities, one can still take comfort in noting that at a structural level (governmental, ministerial, administrative) continuity is guaranteed by the regular exchanges and meetings which have already been introduced, of which the Franco-German summit of last June 9th is an example; partnerships are also pursued at the level of civil society. However, there is also a problem here: a difficulty in placing the Franco-German relationship and of envisaging it in a dynamic role in an expanded Europe and at the heart of a globalised economy. There also remain the stinging reproaches of certain Europeans against the FrancoGerman couple for failing to meet propositions themselves, but for always being there to call others to order and to monopolise on their special rights as joint founders.

On this unsure playing field, it therefore falls to two people who seem to be allergic to each other to quickly find their marks, so as to allow conditions to be put in place which can renew their common perspective. The two leaders should be capable of being pragmatic when dealing with this case; for evidence of this one can look (with a degree of amusement) at how easy it was for Nicolas Sarkozy to let it slide when Angela Merkel was awarded the Charlemagne prize for her European engagement with great pomp on May 1st in Aix-en-Chapelle. The French President, completely at ease, praised the Chancellor almost lovingly, who in return rose to the occasion by addressing Sarkozy in a personal manner, trying to outdo her adulator.

Nevertheless, pragmatism alone will not revive the Franco-German axis. What it needs is a smidgeon of idealism, a dash of sincere desire, it needs strength and the enthusiasm of imagination. It is exactly this which is lacking from each of these two characters, locked in a rivalry to be European leader and having absolutely no warmth for each other. It is as a result of this that in this field the «enlightened civil society» has a duty to make a decisive difference.

JCL

Translator: Christina G Connolly

Neighbours’ party

BabelParis — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:39:00 +02:00

Being in charge of writing a paper on the « Neighbours’ party » for La Parisienne blog, I took my mission very seriously, up to the point to organise it. Indeed, this event had not taken place the previous years in my building.

First step: writing a poster with a registration list for those who wanted to take part into it, suggesting to the neighbours to meet in the courtyard around 8PM on Tuesday May 27th. I wrote a fake first name on the first line, Jean-Paul, because often people don’t dare registering their name first.

Two days later, I noticed that six or seven people wrote their names down; this was fine if we were a small group, it would make them fill like joining us on the Day D.

But the day before the party, I noticed another poster proposing to meet around 8:30PM in the garden on the ground floor’s neighbours. How was it possible, were they planning a “counter neighbours’ party”?

The day of the party, just before 8PM I doubted about the success of the celebration, it was cold and raining; and on top of that the second poster might have disordered the time of the meeting and the general organisation!

But as I went out towards the courtyard I immediately bumped into the neighbours, the authors of the second poster, who were inviting us to their place as it was raining outside. Some more neighbours were in the hall as well; we ere introducing ourselves as people were gathering together. Our hosts had prepared pizzas, others had brought Portuguese dishes and the buffet dinner started in a very pleasant atmosphere. There was plenty of food, I revealed that Jean-Paul would not help to serve the plates.

Everyone was glad to finally take the time to talk for real rather than throughing the usual « hello » when we were meeting from time to time in the hall; besides as it was a party when no one knew each other at first, it removed the usual talk of friends who had been knowing each other for years.
Besides, this was the opportunity to chat with older people and people from different social backgrounds; it was indeed pretty unusual that a granny walked in during a party!
We could hear as well about the neighbourhood history, celebrities who lived around or gossips about weird neighbours. This was also a good time to swap the nice spots to go out and to eat out in area. We also all complained a bite about the high prices of the rents because this was the common point between us.
One o’clock in the morning, we finally figured out that the party was over and that everybody was working the next day. Fortunately, we didn’t have a lot to walk to get home. We were all suggesting not to wait for next year’s neighbours’ party to get together again. Meeting friends in Paris from a neighbourhood to another always requires time, so why not enjoying company around home?

Author: Guillaume de Pauw
Translation: Johara Boukabous

A Greater Paris, a great idea?

BabelParis — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:07:00 +02:00

Latest news on the Greater Paris, a concept dear to Nicolas Sarkozy… As Jean Nouvel won the architecture contest for the design of the Signal Tower, a future landmark of the rejuvenated capital, the president gathered architects, sociologists and city planners to precise the main feature of the project. What is actually the Greater Paris? So far it is being debated. Our great cousin London may well be a source of inspiration.

A bit of fresh air for Paris

Nicolas Sarkozy stirred the idea of a Greater Paris for a year or so. Paris is a capital city circled by very tight administrative limits. The majority of its workforce lives in the suburbs in what forms a patchwork of towns of different sizes and whose policies lack coordination. The situation is more than a mere concern when one knows the difficulties of transportation, housing and discrimination faced by inhabitants of the Parisian region.
Given this state of things, different visions of the Greater Paris project are being imagined by left wing and right wing politicians in a vaguely consensual atmosphere. The right wing senator Philippe Dallier suggests that the town neighbouring Paris directly be integrated to it and wishes the different districts around the capital to be merged into one to make it more powerful and give it more attributions. Jean-Paul Planchou, a left wing mayor, advocates the improvement of existing institutions notably at the regional level.
There will be some time before these political plans are transformed into real actions. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Channel, the Greater London model has been long a symbol of attraction and dynamism.

The open city of London and a suffocating Paris

London emerged of an urban structure that differs from Paris’ on all accounts. This open city gathers a collection of villages that ended up forming a vast conurbation. This is why the Greater London authority was imagined in 1965. It gathers 33 boroughs populated with no less than 8 million inhabitants. Administratively speaking, there is no city called London except the borough of the city of London and the function of Mayor of London was only created in 2000 to give the Greater London a political figure.
Paris, on the other hand, is a French city almost like all the others. Apart from its district structure and county status, it does not have an authority governing its urban community. It is only populated with 2 millions inhabitants within the “périphérique”, a ring road acting as a border between the city and its famous “banlieues” where 6 millions proxy-Parisians live.
The Greater London works like a small government vested with large powers in the field of transportation, housing and security. The underground system often stretches as far as 30 kilometres outside the city centre. In Paris, the city hall has to get itself into judicial battles when it seeks to extend its Vélib’ system 2 kilometres away from the city limits.
Paris loses an incredible amount of time and money suffocating within obsolete administrative borders and fragmented governance. London seems to breath better but is it nonetheless the perfect model?

Paris will never be London.

The admiration our president has for Great Britain is well known. The same probably goes for the dynamic London. Paris, in its historical shrine, will remain a city of the past, symbolising luxury and living at slower pace. It will also be less vibrant and less cosmopolitan than London that always attracted people from all over the world and sometimes an eccentric population.
Let us hope that the architects of the Greater Paris will take this into account. The rejuvenation of the capital must not mean that the old fashioned charm of the city must be done away with to copycat London.

Julien De Cruz

MAY 68. Commemoration, commemoration, commemoration !

BabelParis — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:00:00 +02:00

A blow of revolution blows on Paris’ streets. Black and white pictures inundate all the heads. Young disheveled long hair men, premises of bell-bottom trousers, determined gait teenagers : all are ready to fight with the police... It happened 40 years ago in the Latin neighborhood in the French capital. May 68, the time when the sacred triangle of Sorbonne, Saint-Michel, Saint-Germain des près used to turn into the rallying point of French youth seeking for freedom and recognition. It was the time when the slogans “ it is forbidden to forbid”, “CRSS-S-S” or “under pavement, sands” resonate with the music of Jacques Dutronc, Charles Aznavour or the Rolling Stones.

Back to 2008

spread all across the French capital, exhibits, cinematic retrospectives, posters, books and even comics are at the center of the attention of the pro and even the anti “68 nostalgia”. The current French president, Nicolas Sarkozy had declared on April 29, 2007 that we should “get ride of the spirit of May 68”... Sarkozy, one of the most emblematic heirs of this 68 moral liberalization : son of a divorce couple, three time married, father of three children from two different mothers... His new friend the philosopher André Glucksman, one of the main figure of the 1968 events, decided to write down, with his son Raphaël, a long explanation named “May 68 explained to Nicolas Sarkozy”.

May 68 also means rock revolution. Beats, musics, noises of every kind, even screams. That is on that topic that the exhibit “soundtrack of May 68” in the 18th arrondissement city hall has been created. Around pictures of that time where the guests wander to the beats of the 1960s of Janis Joplin, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Serge Reggiani of Sheila.

At the same time, what will be called afterwards “Nouvelle vague”movement, appeared in movie theaters. Cannes was set on fire and was catching up with Paris, led by François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godart, Roman Polanski, Claude Chabrol… These “Regards croisés” are shown for two months at Champo movie theater, a few minutes away from the Sorbonne. Directors, historians, critics analyze the causes and the heritage of this end of 1960s period. At the same time, the Cinémathèque française is living one more time its student revolution. From June 4 to 29, pictures of a libertarian youth sometimes utopist filmed by Godart, Doillon or Goupil and get back to the memory of a time of those who are under 20 can't know. 68 inspires as well movie makers who weren't even born at that time. Released on May 21, 2008 in France « Born in 68 » recounts, through the life of a group of friends, from their revolted youth, their adulthood in a hippie community and their disenchantment in the 21th century society they don't acknowledge the values.

Ideological or not, passionate or not, this historical May 68 keeps resonating in the heads of the May 08 citizens.

-Johara BOUKABOUS

Photo : Jonandsamfreecycle/FlickR

In May, clean up your budget !

BabelParis — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:00:00 +02:00

Ahh, budgetary matters! True poetry! Nothing like that to send your audience to sleep! Nothing drier, more perplexing, more depressing. And nothing more important either. It’s not surprising that the European states have committed these matters to a community level. It’s up to them to do the spending, and the Commission has the role of spoilsport. A nice division of tasks…

And who is still having their knuckles rapped? France, which is our future “exemplary president”! Of course France hasn’t reached its objectives. Of course its deficit is larger than foreseen. Of course the objective is now to achieve balance and growth in 2012. I’m saying to you, next July it’s going to be really classy when we have to explain to other states that they must follow EU rules etc etc…

But, you’ll say to me, I don’t understand! I thought that France had managed to come out of its famous 3% deficit. The deficit for 2007, is 2.7%. There shouldn’t be any more problems then! But of course there are!

Because that’s not all. Under the Stability and Growth Pact, the states have committed themselves to reducing their deficits with the objective of having a complete balance by 2010. Yes, you’ve read correctly, 0 deficit! But it’s in the treaty, this thing! The treaty says it should be less than 3%, full stop. What’s Europe getting itself into now?

Europe is saying that 2.7% deficit in a positive economic period is frankly not great. That the budgetary deficit can be used to compensate the effects of a crisis, but a deficit when there is no crisis is a structural deficit, and that, whether you’re a leftist or rightist, Keynesian or monetarist, is truly terrible! And we’ve had these structural deficits for twenty years…

And actually, what exactly is public spending for? Aside from roads, railway tracks and schools, it also works as a sort of stopper in the face of economic crisis. When things are going badly, we help the unemployed, we reduce charges for businesses etc. In summary we revive the machine. And that deficit is made up in the years when things are going better.

But when we have a 3% deficit in the years when things are going well, we spoil all hope of being able to soften economic shocks. In keeping these structural deficits, we voluntarily cut ourselves off from weapons for the future. And at the least economic shock it’s a downward spiral: spending increases automatically, but the economy doesn’t re-launch. You all recognise the absolute terror of economists: stagflation! The economic equivalent to a black hole. Total destruction, the Nothing (for those who remember the Never Ending Story, our geek reference of the day…)

The conclusion to be drawn from all of this is that those who swear faith in our social system and at the same time promise more spending, or less taxes, are lying to you. Actually no, it’s worse, it’s pure and simple betrayal! It’s as though the Pope came to speak to you about love, or multinational companies about social responsibility: we ask ourselves how it’s possible that anyone can still believe it.

And lastly, this liberal and capitalist Europe, which puts states in a straightjacket of technocratic criteria, which imposes an orthodox budget, isn’t it the best assurance for our social policy?

Why is there such a refusal to reduce deficits on the part of the European Commission? Because the urgency is now! The surge in prices of primary materials, the beginnings of a global food crisis, an American economy skimming a recession, all of this is going to mean that our economic policies will need more room to manoeuvre.

When the European Union tells states to clean up their finances, it’s not a question of a Trojan Horse. On the contrary, it ensures that our systems of public spending stay effective, and therefore viable, for the future.

The true question in this story is therefore not whether or not we should balance our budget, but more why, after all these years, we still have structural deficits. Maybe this reflects the perceptions of the population? Maybe there are certain people who feel like they’ve been in a crisis for twenty years? But here the solution will not be found in budgetary policies.

Alexis Brunelle

Translation: Christina Connolly

French EU presidency on debate

BabelParis — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:33:00 +02:00

For the French EU presidency, French institutions organise a round of meetings in French cities to collect citizens’ opinion on great European bargains. In order to europeanise the debate, cafebabel.com asks Europeans for their viewpoint; so that the French presidency should be European before anything else.

The first meeting took place in Lille on May 7^th. Then will come Marseille, Lyon, La Rochelle and Nantes. All these appointments between the public and personalities, experts, European politicians aim at collecting Europeans’ reactions and expectations.

So that these initiatives will not remain confined to few conference rooms, cafebabel.com uses its forums to extend these consultations Europe wide. Among each appointment, a chat environment will be opened to discuss corresponding topics.

Immigration policy, Europe’s defence, energy and climate package, let’s come to the babelforums ad talk with other Europeans about the priorities of the French presidency.

Your participation will not be of no consequence as the best propositions, remarks and interrogations will be compiled and cautiously analysed by our team before being added to a report that we will issue to French authorities.

For those who would like to be fully engaged in the project and since it is firstly supposed to be participative, let’s join the team animating the forums. Ask for information here (forum@cafebabel.com).

Jean-Sébastien Lefebvre

Translation : Sophie Helbert

Cannes : and the winner is…

BabelParis — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:33:00 +02:00

Many people gathered on the stage of the Cannes Film Festival to receive the Golden Palm! This year it is the film titled “The Class” (“Entre les Murs”), directed by Laurent Cantet, which was awarded the highest prize.

The twenty five students from the Françoise Dolto high school in Paris did not go down to Cannes for nothing. One of them even told the France 2 television camera that he had been noticed and may have the opportunity to pursue his film debut a bit further.

Of course, the editing team of La Parisienne was not lucky enough to see the winning film. Only the elite at Cannes were granted this privilege. Nevertheless, it may be added that the jury, presided by Sean Penn, claimed it to be a unanimous decision. Furthermore, we have read here and there that the audience laughed during the screening of the film. And that, can be taken as a good sign!
A special award was presented to Catherine Deneuve for her acting in Arnaud Desplechin’s latest film (“Un conte de Noel”) and also for the whole of her career.
That is the news for the French.
Oh, no, I almost forgot to mention that the “Palme d’Or” had not been awarded to a French film since 1987 (“Sous le soleil de Satan” by Maurice Pialat). It would have been a shame not to remind people this event!

From the north to the south and passing by the East.

Belgium was also among the prize winners. The film “Lorna’s silence” (“Le silence de Lorna”) directed by the Dardennes brothers was awarded the prize for best screenplay.
As for the Grand Prix, it was given to the film “Gomorra” by the Italian film maker Mattero Garonne. And Turkey was also honored with Nuri Bilge Celan receiving the award of best director for his film titled “The three Monkeys” (“Les Trois Singes”).

And Kosovo in the limelight.

The Kosovian actress Arta Dobroshi attracted much attention during the Cannes Film Festival. She plays the role of a young Albanese woman in “Lorna’s Silence” directed by the Dardennes brothers. The geopolitical complexities of the small Kosovian state were set aside for a few days, and the focus was rather on the enthusiasm and radiant smile of this young actress.

Haude-Marie Thomas
Traduction de Sarah Voke

International Festival of the Environmental Image.

BabelParis — Tue, 27 May 2008 08:00:00 +02:00

In Paris, from May the 15th to the 21st was held the international festival dedicated to the environmental image. This was the occasion to admire pictures, videos, installations and movies related to the environmental issue.

As far as photography goes, the present artists make us discover pictures linked to the environment. Sitting there right at our feet, we meet, among others, the work of Eric Franceschi who followed the Huneauve River, from its source to its mouth. He shows us how the river slowly degrades as, along his way, he comes across garbage and other waste. Xavier Delory invites us in the Belgian countryside where standardization catches our attention as adaptation to the environment appears to be the last of their concern. In Arkadia, Netherlands, Andrea Meichsner captures a vacation village whose uniformity has really something of the Playmobil’s house.

In Poznan, Poland, Laura Berg took pictures of animals in a zoo out of which come feelings of sadness and boredom due to their captivity that black and white prints deeply highlight. Back in Paris, Magali Roucaut whose snapshots “Paris des fleurs sauvages” or “Parisian wild flowers” bring us face to face with flowers in close-up and the Arch of Paris business district, La Défense or other urban elements in the background. Pierre-Jérôme Jehel describes the cultural dimension of a landscape in pictures inhabited by a far-off human history.

Even more powerful are Cedric Widmer’s pictures taken after the fires in Portugal stressing out the human responsibility in these ecological disasters. And other examples from France, Europe and the whole world keep showing up as we go through the exhibition.

Open to other formats, an installation attracts us to ride fitness bikes that produce electricity. Then the energy created feeds lights whose intensity depends on our effort. This installation aims at building awareness of the existing link between the expenses (the body energy) and the revenue (the light)

Elsewhere, short videos come and go in a room where we can make us comfortable on mattresses, blankets and pillows. On a video, a skier takes off on the ski jump and lands not on the snow that you expect him to softly touch down, but crashes on the bare ground: radical method to experience global warming…

In the end, as a new way to increase public awareness of a topical issue, environment, the exhibition is more efficient and attractive than a long speech. And its international approach allows us to understand this theme on a global level by grasping the diversity of the world and its ecological issues.

For those who missed it, some additional dates are planned in other cities in France and abroad.
More information: www.fiie.fr

Down with the velib

BabelParis — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:22:00 +02:00

If life in Paris suddenly starts to seem dull, there is always a way to spice it up with a near-death experience: a velib.

When you take a look at the Parisian traffic and especially the chaotic roundabouts of Bastille or Arc de Triomphe, to hop on a bike and mix in with the motor runners is not the first thing to come up to your mind. Nevertheless, one sunny day I tried my luck with the new Parisian city bikes. These velibs have been nerving the car drivers since July last year and seem to become more and more popular. They (comes from the words velo and liberté) weigh a good 25 kilos and do not particularly please the eye, apparently the choice of design was made to keep away the long fingered and less honest fellow citizens.

No pain, no gain

Velib is certainly not for the nervous, it takes you all the courage and the cool headedness to dive into the traffic among the unpredictable Frenchmen. Cars are actually not that much of a problem since Parisian roads are only wide enough for one car on both sides. This leaves a good metre for a biker to explore, IF there weren’t the motorcyclists.

Roadies, the motorcyclists, are a special type of nutcases who think they enjoy the same status as everyone else on two tyres since they are just as small and mobile. Note: Mobile with a motor that makes all the difference. Compared to these roaring monsters you feel you are sitting on an eggshell that will crack even with the smallest push. These buffalos neither have sense nor soul, they will brutally cut in front and when the red turns to yellow, they will speed up and shoot all the way till the next red just to leave you choking with their exhaust fumes.

Motorcyclists are not the only thing to watch out, also the Parisians en pied cause certain problems. The unwritten rule in Paris is that you cross the street wherever you like and by no means should you look if there are any vehicles coming. Of course the more suddenly and unpredictably you do it, the better.

But it is worth it!

But velib is like a drug, once you have done it, you want more. You become addicted to the thrill of dodging the motor and human objects and to the challenge of staying focus with the multitude of traffic lights and signs of all sizes and colours. Compared to the extreme sport of velib riding even the toughest videogame seems like a child’s play.

Unfortunately, half of the time my athletic impulses are cut down because of technical problems; my credit card doesn’t work or I don’t get a receipt. Another problem is that velib addiction seems to have spread like a disease through out the whole Paris. So, if the sun is shining, you maybe certain not to find any bikes around, despite the 20 000 examples that are supposed to circulate around the city. But when you do find yourself on a bike, it is fantastic: you discover Paris in all its variety with a nice summer breeze sweeping your hair and life is beautiful.

Don’t touch to symbols !

BabelParis — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:36:00 +02:00

In March 2009, the Iron Lady will celebrate its 120 anniversary. No, I’m not speaking about Margaret Thatcher’s forefather but about the Eiffel Tour.

Next year, the most popular Parisian icon in the world will celebrate more than a century of success, after a hard start. But don’t we say about the greatest that their beginnings should be overwhelming? Edith Piaf also was resented and scorned at before being caught in the turmoil of success and adored by the crowds who are still dragging her into the whirl of posthumous glory. If there is something definitely sacred in our national heritage, it really is symbols.

The Eiffel Tour is not only the greatest symbol of French heritage, it is also the most popular.

So, what a surprise to hear that her fatherland is thinking about mutilating it as a gift?! News or rumour, a contest would have been organised by the City of Paris at the beginning of the year so as to get our good old lady “dressed up” for 2009, just as if she had to powder her nose… The winner would be the Serero architect office. If you want to have a look at the project, click there but the Parisian team already invites you to react :

Since Europe has spoken a lot about its symbols with the possible introduction of five of them in the Lisbon treaty (11 member States refused to approve the non constraining text joined to the treaty, among which France), do you think that the cultural markers should evolve with the society they are living in? Or, on the contrary, icons don’t they participate in the collective memory, so loving them would be the best way to pay them tribute ever?

Environment: Brussels counter attacks!

BabelParis — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:38:00 +02:00

The intention is clear: « 2 times 20 in 2020 ». This is the ambition of “Energy-climate package” introduced last January 23rd by the European Commission. Concretely, it deals with reducing CO2 discharges within the EU by 20% and, at the same time, increasing green energy consumption by 2020. Even though the European History is paved with initiatives in favour of environmental protection, this “Energy-climate package” seems to be a turning point in this green collective consciousness.

“…environment accounts for real European challenge” explains Daniel Cohn-Bendit, European MP, vice president of the Green/Alliance libre Européenne to the French newspaper Les Echos (March 27, 2008). “Even if a nationalist temptation still exists as soon as measures from Brussels don’t fit perfectly the national interests. A whole range of steps have however been taken in spite of problems raised by the governments, they were fair, such as the directive on migratory bird protection since 1979, then on the 2000 Natura directive, like the adoption of the « polluting agent = payer » principal and the precaution principal…”

These ambitious resolutions have for target to ensure the EU energetic independence especially towards its Russians, Iranian and Saudi suppliers of black gold, but can as well open the doors of the green new technologies to the Old Continent. “If the Union wants to organize and globalize the climate debate, it has to become the leader through its decisions and actions” continues Daniel Cohn-Bendit. “It is very important that the EU could become the green technology champion, which would be extremely profitable for our economy.”

Green-requirement?

First step: to reform the EU CO2 discharge exchange quota system. The European States could finance to support green energies or to support the old infrastructure renovation. After 2012 and the end of the Kyoto treaty, the greenhouse gas quota attribution by the EU Commission will get stricter. The aim is set to minus 21% for the discharges of industries submitted to those quotas by 2020 compared to the 2005 quotas. Second step: multiplying by two the investments in the green energy sector that will satisfy 20% of the EU energy needs in 2020, for only 8,5% today. This challenge requires a huge effort from the member states in order to diversify their green energy sources: 70% of the green energy comes now from hydroelectricity while there are also sun power, wind-bornes or biomass. « There is a strong consensus in the European society to go towards these green energies that are also in the future the warranty of our geopolitical independence towards fossil energy supplier” explains Claude Turnes, in charge of the green energy project for the European Parliament to the newspaper Les Echos (March 27th, 2007). “Today five countries have built economical success stories from green energies, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Austria and Denmark. They have set an example and proven that their development can bring to Europe a new industrial leadership.” The agricultural sector was not forgotten. Started in 2003, a deep revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Commission has initiated a reform of the financial allocation to the farmers in order to stop pushing them towards overproduction. A new criteria named “green-requirement” forces for now on farmers to respect environment protection requirements in order to benefit from market supports for fear of sanctions.

Will Europe finally embody its part of green warrior? Let see in 2020!

Picture copyright : Andy Bahn/SXC

Firms go green too

All across the European union, individual initiatives are blooming. Driven by their consumers’ will, these eco-friendly resolutions aren’t of course taken by altruism, but shouldn’t we say that only results count? Here are a few examples:

Since 2006, the Swedish furniture supplier Ikea has set up a shuttle system between the end of the tramway and its Strasburg shop.

Some insurance companies allow discounts to their clients who use very little their car or are owners of green cars (GMF, MAAF, Macif…)

The British Bank HSBC reached the top of the CERES bank list in the field of climate change, collaborating with a former executive of WWF, Francis Sullivan

Italian company Benetton supports a micro-credit system in Senegal, collaborating with musician Youssou N’Dour

-Johara BOUKABOUS

Euro green-citizen, new kind of species?

BabelParis — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:06:00 +02:00

“Our house is burning and we are looking elsewhere”. What if these words pronounced by Jacques Chirac, in office at the time, during the third World Summit of 2002 in Johannesburg (South Africa) were about to change. What if the citizens of Europe became aware of the shape of their “house” and took responsibility for it… That’s what the results of a Eurobarometer survey published last March untitled “Attitudes of European citizens towards the environment” let think.

This survey carried out all over the EU on 27 000 citizens underlined the increasing interest of Europeans towards environmental issues. An “awareness-raising” seems to take effect on their daily life, on their health, nutrition, transportation and even natural disaster such as floods.

This interest upsurge is all the more blazing compared with the last survey carried out in 2004 on the new EU members: plus 20 points especially for Cyprus, Hungry and Slovenia. The concept of “climate changes” strongly appears; 57% of Europeans who were questioned insist on this issue as being one of their main concerns. Euro-citizens agree as well on mistrusting GMO (Genetically modified organism). The most temperate on that issue are the Spaniards (31% opposed) and the most hostile are the French (70% opposed).

The direct environment has, of course, a special impact on citizens’ concerns. We can notice for instance the concern of the Baltic countries on water issues and more specifically the aquatic environment deterioration in the Baltic Sea (64% for Estonia, Lithuania 58%, Latvia 55%).

90% of Europeans think that responsibility lies with the biggest polluting agents but, at the same time, 86% of them thinks playing an increasing role in protecting the environment. On the contrary, disinterest towards environmental issues is being marginalized: only 8% of Romanians and Austrians consider the environment protection as being of little importance.

From theory to practice

How Europeans concretise their new green consciousness? We can see that questioned people declare having made in the mean 2,6 individual actions in favour of nature during the past month. These green actions account for 59% waste separation, 47% energy saving and 37% water saving. However these three actions can be qualified as being “passive” ones. Indeed, waste separation and recycling system are pretty well established in many countries and can’t be even remunerated. Energy prices rising (gas and oil) can also be seen as a consumption bridle.

The most mentioned action remains waste separation especially by 80% of Luxemburg citizens and by the French. Danes (62%), Bulgarians (36%) and Romanians (36%) name first energy saving whereas Baltic countries are more used to buying regional products (from 30 to 49%).

Euro green-citizen identikit

64% of the questioned people restrict themselves to passive actions. Women are 25% to make some actions (20% only for men). And surprisingly, the most dynamic age grade (i.e. who makes at least a few actions) is the one between 40 and 54 years old. In consequence, the most active green-citizen would be a 25 year-old woman or older, with college education, rather, with left political position and with a feeling of being well-informed on environmental issues.

However, a duality remains between the will to act in favour of environment and facts. for instance, 75% of interviewees declare being ready to buy green products even though they are expensive, but only 17% has taken the plunge during the last month. The widest gap between will and purchase can be found on the Cypriot side (91% wish buying green products but only 14% do it); the narrowest gap is for the Danes (86% - 41%). These differences are justified by financial considerations and by a lack of information especially by misunderstanding labels on green products.

More « polluting agent = payer »

37% of Europeans are in favour of stricter sanctions such as fines; 33% favour implementing current laws; 30% are for more efficient information and 29% for financial incitation. But the most important, for 67% Europeans, is taking decisions in favour of environment at EU level. This percentage raises up to 78%who support the idea of European civil protection force in case of natural disasters.

-Johara BOUKABOUS

Picture copyright: Jay Lopez/SXC

Eurogeneration : May 9th celebrated by the Parisian team

BabelParis — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:10:00 +02:00

On the eve of the European Day, the Parisian team took the streets of Paris to put a test on strollers

from any nationality and of every age, asking them about their attachment to this Europe which has taken so much space in our 21st century societies.
Holding a camera used as a film maker, carrying an MP3 player-recorder for sound-catching, and with their spring days’ good mood, your devoted blog-journalists stormed the Butte Montmartre. It is down this very Parisian site, also cherished by tourists, that our generation tour began.

Revealing: Exchanges, trips, tourism, these are the first things that come to our interviewees’ mind when we talk about Europe, no matter their age bracket.
The first group we approach is composed of boys and girls, rather young. After a first chat to introduce our subject, and once the surprise over, we learn that these three boys and four girls, 20 years old or so, are having a tourist journey in the French capital. One of them studies at the European school in Luxembourg; amazing for a first shoot, isn’t it?
Amused, two of them play the game: ”Well, if I say Europe, does it mean anything to you?” Of course, for these youngsters studying in buildings that can mingle up to 27 different nationalities, Europe is obvious. Instinctively, Morgane and Yann refer to the Erasmus program
Our second “target”, in her thirties, is far less favourable to this European Union that she first of all considers as an economic and political union. She says she doesn’t feel European as she doesn’t travel a lot. Then, mobility seems to be a key factor of the “European profile”. That’s what this young real estate agent, laying against his agency front door and holding a cigarette says : Europe is also a place of communication. Be able to move, yes, but being able to communicate with one another, it means enabling people to share their perceptions of daily life and to enrich our cultures.

The benefice isn’t only commercial nor financial, it is above all human. But what about politics…
So broad but also so close, Europe took the bet made in the 50’s: it became a space of free movement and free trade. For young people, the free-boarder Europe is both a geographic and a psychological asset. But there is also this inner feeling amongst young Europeans that their future will be multiple. Nevertheless, this benevolence doesn’t quite the critical minds of the youngests who underline the lack of political unity. As the success of the functional agenda doesn’t need to be proved of anymore, we should better ask ourselves about the possibility to reach a real political Europe. Is it only desirable? The young generation remains rather sceptical even if, regarding the last Eurobarometer or Ipsos opinion surveys, the 20-35 year-old-people show the highest confidence rate in the EU.

English, this link that gets us to understand each other …?
To communicate with each other, one should not deny it, Europeans have rallied themselves behind the English language. This is also characteristic of the gap between us and our grandparents’ generation, or even our parents’, for whom learning English was a luxury reserved to elite. And that’s what sometimes strengthens defying reactions.
Our young thirty or so woman and her friend recognize that it permits young people to have exchanges, but that it should not be at the expense of cultural diversity nor at the expense of differences.
Should English be an unavoidable common denominator to solve the European equation? Not so obvious when we see that English people who should, at least, fell galvanized by this prevailing position on the language market, look down upon at Europe. Once more, we don’t speak out of impressions but we base ourselves on real facts. Till now, we hided many of our inquiry failures, but I can’t resist on the pleasure of revealing an anecdote which will confirm this European reality: We nabbed a couple of freshly retired people marked with the tourist’s stamp ( socks, sandals, a fisherman’s hat for him, a pair of Abba fashion-like and shorts for her, not missing the camera slung across the shoulder). We quickly realised they were not French as they grimaced their face with incredulity to our first questions. However, one word seemed to mean something as we uttered it: “Europe”. And there, shields up. Mister X turned around without giving the impression to feel sorry for not answering back, and Mrs X shyly followed the pace (some taboos cannot be spoken out). Of course, our less cooperative tourists, for not saying rebellious, were British! So, though we don’t have the intention to make “English-bashing”, one should recognise that our friends from across the Channel do not count among the friendliest people towards Europeans.

If our approach often surprised, we happened to be surprised by people too.
Like this couple of free-huggers, standing down the Sacré Coeur with their board. After exchanging a friendly hug, they told us that Europe was a good thing. A community that hugs and kisses, maybe this is the real European identity. And why not developing a transnational free-hugger collective action to symbolise this? Idea’s launched; let’s hope that our two palls will take it over…
Amazing too this bench of septuagenarians. They might have reached 400 years old allall in all! Moreover, they all came from different countries: Italy, Spain, France. They said they were used to have their daily meeting in this lively place to share a moment together, among the Parisian turmoil. They should be the more talkative – who would’ve bet?! Even if they content quickly got mixed up. “It is too widely opened” one of them told us. Having come to France approximately 40 years ago to escape Spain undergoing, at the time, hard economic, employment and life conditions, she said she felt completely French now. It was just when free circulation of goods and people had been implemented in Europe that our French-hearted Spanish woman, started to hope for a better future. However, listening to her, we should close both the inner and the outer boarders of Europe now. Immigration, protectionism, insecurity, idleness; here was how she considered the surrounding world. A point of view that was not shared by her fellow Spanish friend who was sitting next to her. “It is only because we were given the opportunity to leave our country to work in France that we succeeded in our lives; we can’t neither forbid nor reproach the others for willing to improve their daily life”.

These confronted views among a generation of people that went through the same experience is interesting. It shows that there is not just one community of common destinies depending on generations but that within each generation, personal experiences fuel multiple individual destinies. “Europe” does not erase everything, it doesn’t add things either; but it is a way to unify behind a single word the differences that will make its future.

Let’s celebrate Europe!

Sophie Helbert

Sport: a European value

BabelParis — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:41:00 +02:00

On the path leading to the construction of ‘Europe’, our leaders often look for common values through which everyone can feel united. What if this were to also be achieved through sport? “Sport and Citizenship”, a young Franco-Belgian association, has given itself the objective of assembling and representing all those who contribute to sport as citizens of Europe.

At the root of the initiative is an ex-European official from the Directorate General for Education, Culture and Sport, Julian Jappert, who in September 2007 decided to found “Sport and Citizenship” (3S), a European platform with the whole of Europe as its playing field.

An exchange of experiences

In combing a fundamental social value and a popular activity inside the same organisation, the ambition is clear: to promote the sport ethics which are too often overshadowed by ‘business sport’.

To enable this ambitious project to be carried out the association takes various lines of action. First of all it offers direct services to sports associations and high level sportsmen who wish to work at a European level. This is to facilitate administrative steps and to propose “lobbying” with institutions in Brussels. These activities, which are often essential for the development of an initiative on a larger scale, are usually out of reach for small organisations. Furthermore all those who desire it are enabled to exchange their good practices, experiences or failures with others who run sport-citizenship projects.

Reflection on sport

Besides this aspect, the association predominantly offers advice and comment to all those organisations, federations and associations who wish to combine ethics with their sport activities.

At a level which is perhaps less accessible for everyday sportsmen, the association also organises conferences and workshops with the big names in sport, journalists, directors and mulitidisciplinary scientists on the future of sport and its place in society, which is another mission of 3S.

Informing and commenting therefore play an important role in the work of the association, which is why from the start it launched a website and prints a monthly scientific review. The first edition was free, although the following editions will only be avalable to associations and organisations with subscriptions.

The second edition has just appeared (with a fee). It talks about the ties between sport and health, a field in which the association is greatly involved.

Living together

The objective of its founders is that “Sport and Citizenship” become a federal platform, recognised as a reference network for all those Europeans who think that sport can convey values to help people to live side by side in society.

This is an initiative regarding the highly relevant debate currently taking place over the principles of the Olympic Games and a mishandled flame paraded around the whole world, by a country which sees sport and these Games only in a political context.

For more information you can consult the associations website : Sport et citoyenneté

Translation : Christina G Connolly

Eurogeneration from East to West

BabelParis — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:00:00 +02:00

Joanna Nowicki is a professor working on the notion of interculturality. As such, she gives lectures in various European universities as Cluj or Cracovie.

She also takes part in the course on international management, Copernic, currently taking place in Paris. This course gathers together fifty young Europeans from Eastern, Western and Central Europe.

According to you, is there a eurogeneration?
Yes, from what I see, and that is students going on exchange programs, Erasmus or an another one. I think that has considerably changed mentalities. I believe that the teaching system gives a very good sense of the specificities of each country. Europe happens more that way than with laws.

But I would like to point out that those exchange programs do not really concern a whole generation. In that sense, I object to the term ‘eurogeneration’. Europe has not yet extended to secondary education. Students go on exchanges programs, but very few junior high and high schoolers. And not everybody goes to university to study.The people that benefit from those exchange programs (and I include in that those that welcome international students) are therefore a minority.

Nevertheless, to use the word ‘elite’ would be unfair. Exchange programs are becoming more accessible. They are put into place in a large number of fields and not only in ‘Grands Ecoles’ and other prestigious schools. It is the ambition of Europe to make it possible for a majority.

We may also object to the term ‘elite’ because exchange programs are more of ‘a Europe on the ground’ rather than an abstract political Europe?
Certainly.

You are also teaching in universities in Central Europe and Eastern Eureope, have you observed changes in the way students perceive the European Union?
I am working in Poland and Romania. I am aslo teaching in the Copernic program. Doing so, I observe a very large panel of ideas about Europe.

First of all, there are the core states of Central Europe. Countries that have been Europeanised and occidentalised for very a long time. There is no difference between young people of Central Europe and of Western Europe. I would even say that the first are more dynamic. They are also more optimistic because they have more opportunities. They have access to financial aid, entrance exams…They’re winners. A young man that speaks several languages can be very sucessful, in every aspects.

Young people from Western Europe are more pessimistic. They see the difficulties in reforming their countries, the high unemployent, the tight job market. Where Central Europeans see opportunities, they see difficulties.

To the East, in Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine or Bielorussia, everything is more complex. They are experiencing difficulties in creating a democracy. They are all conscious of what needs to be done, and very active politically. They wonder whether they should stay in their country, go away to benefit from other opportunities in other countries, and then maybe come back home. So there are impotant differences between European students, especially between those from Eastern Europe and those from Central and Western Europe.

According to you, what attitude could adopt someone from the eurogeneration if he or she comes to a important position within the government of a European member state?

Maybe it is a question that cannot be answered as such. There are differences between the everyday political life of Western states and that of Central, Eastern European states.

Czeslaw Milosz (The Nobel Prize in Literature, 1980 ) considers for example that there is a Europe made of the countries that have endured totalitarism. They relate to democracy in a different way than France would for example. France has forgotten the great obstacles its democracy had to face. I would much rather compare Central and Eastern Eauropean countries with Spain for example.

You come across the same difference when you look at the relationships between China and Tibet. The issue has been very much debated in Central Europe because it relates closely to minority issues.

Maybe a student from the Eurogeneration could bring a new look on the nation state?
I think that education within the framework of a nation state is out-dated. It does not mean that the nation state do not exist but rather that other systems of reference came into existence. After the fall of the Berlin wall people have grouped in cultural areas. It seems natural to me to see cross-border cooperation emerge, outside of states’ control.

It is not a matter of destroying the nation state. Not everybody is ready for that, not every body has the possibility to read in several languages, or travel. One should not shock mentalitites. However, the nation state is part of a world vision that is dated. Something needs to be reinvented and Europe seems to me a very good solution.

My fear is that bureaucracy could kill the « hot link » necessary to man. The nation state is a « hot link ». I think there could be one in Europe. It would s not only be a link through citizenship, a political link, but a sense of belonging through a cultural heritage. A dish, a landscape…

Interviewed by Haude-Marie Thomas
Translated by Juliette Abbesse

Tale of an expected debacle

BabelParis — Sun, 04 May 2008 11:18:00 +02:00

The day after the Italian elections, my mailbox is set upon by continuous emails full of deception, incredulity, despise (for the Italy of Berlusconi-Bossi) and resignation to the centre-right leader’s results, who has been in the limelight of the political scene for the past 15 years.

In fact, the outcome of these 14 & 15th of April elections had already been announced by political observers who, at the most, may have suggested a tie giving birth to what we call in Italy “inciucio” (a pejorative word for a pre-elections agreement) with the theory of a frankesteinian “Veltrusconi”.

An other forecast that I shared was punctually contradicted: the high level of abstention. Italy ignored the “anti-politics” sirens and proved that voting is the only instrument that we have to change things. Hence my idea to quote Samarango and the blank ballots revolt in Blindness. But I miserably failed in my attempt and so did my personal theory on the “anti-politics” (or maybe “antidemocratic”) aspect of abstention.

For sure, nobody and certainly not me would have bet on a victory of our “home-made” Obama whose decision to translate the democrat motto “yes we can” word for word suggested an expected debacle (the Italian translation “si può fare” for “that can be made” lost a lot of the enthusiasm of the American one.

The two years long Prodi’s government was not wiped out by Walter’s bus (Again Vetroni followed the American example and reached the Italian provinces by bus, now a symbol of the Democrat Party – DP’s electoral campaign. On board it was easy to believe on words full of hope but the weight of failed reforms (training, precariousness, social security, conflict of interest bill, etc…) was just too heavy for the DP’s engine.

Veltroni might have been the man in 2006 when Italians, weary of Berlusconi’s permanent show, may have trusted his promises and changes would have been possible.

But « Ifs » are not History and we know now for certain that Italy who had stated its tiredness of Berlusconi two years ago has changed its mind.

It is hard to explain the reason of what Le Figaro and La Repubblica called “The Cavaliere’s eternal return”. Even though Berlusconi has lost a lot of his ancient charm and ran a campaign under the sign of realism which is unusual (with no magic wand according to Corriere della Sera).

As an Eramus student, surrounded by foreigners all day long, I am now victim of moqueries and I cannot avoid any remarks that would go beyond a inevitable and inappropriate old refrain : “I’m ashamed to be Italian”. Because we carry burdens together and if it is, in fact, a burden, it is only the result of an ambient mentality in Italy, a way of being, from which, I would say, nobody can escape.

Berlusconi is Italy : a country where you are laughed at when you study too much, when you don’t flirt with girls when you’re a boy and when you flirt with guys when you’re a girl; where “feminine and gifted” is an oxymoron; where nobody really thinks that some things should be encouraged (the Italian idiom “metterci una buona parola” – “to put in a good word for somebody” speaks for itself) and where being a good student does not clear the sky on my future.

These badly hidden Italian-way-of-being during the DC (Christian Democracy) government era detonated in 1994 with the famous arrival of the old new man, former stain on the political Italian scene who has now became a permanent feature, almost the country savior.

Beyond my basic sociological analysis, Berlusconi’s presence fills a void, responds to the inefficacity of a more traditional political class. Berlusconi always understands both the worries and necessities of the Italian people, today tired of unkept promises and simply desires to go back to old times, that is when it was less worse.

The popular vote led the country to a new era, Berlusconi III, that transfigured the country’s political face: for the first time in the Republic’s history, the two protagonistic parties in the anti-fascist struggle, socialists and communists are not in Parliament and recorded an unexpected drop in votes. At the same time, a traditional extremist party, racist and anti-parliamentarian, Umberto Bossi’s Lega Nord, proved itself decisive in Berluconi’s victory, sign of a scared and reactionary Italy.

The possible scenarios in this configuration of the Italian assembly have been largely debated and depleted during a conference on April the 16th in Sciences Po Paris organized in collaboration with Luiss Guido Carli from Rome University, in which have participated Ilvo Diamanti, J.P. Fitoussi, Marc Lazar.

The most interesting thing that emerged added to the numerous problems that the new government will have to face, from the garbage in Naples to the absence of social service network and a non existent growth, was the reflection on the absence of a debate on Europe in the electoral campaign.

None of the candidates mentioned the Constitution, Federalism, nor CAP reform.

However, Franco Frattini’s nomination in the Foreign Affairs department (Vice President of the EU commission) gave hope for a change compared to 2001-2006 when the Boss Berlusconi’s systematic invitations to President Georges W. Bush and his family in his Arcore Palace had inevitably kept Italy away from Brussels.

A Napoleonian quote reminds us that a country’s international politics is function of its geographical position. Since Italy is Europe’s suburb, its marginal role on the European checkers board would prove inevitable despite the key role some famous Italians like Spinelli, De Gasperi and Andreotti played in the European construction.

Thus, is Italy really a silent guest in Europe’s house ? Will Belusconi be able to respond favorably to the request of Ezio Mauro (La Repubblica’s director) who asked him to start governing in the country’s interest?

Will our new Numero Uno be able to liberate himself from a general mockery and mistrust by collaborating in Brussels to the development of the European project?
Your turn readers to answer that question.
Alessia Farano

Tolerance has its prize

BabelParis — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:33:00 +02:00

For its tenth anniversary, the Marcel Rudloff prize awarded to former senator Louis Jung on April, 4th. This award is given each year the action of a politician in support of the rize of exchanges between the EU members.

This tolerance prize given by the association of Marcel Rudloff’s friends, former mayor and senator of Strasburg (1923-1996), underlines this year Louis Jung’s commitment “in support of the French-German cooperation and for peace across Europe” according to Francis Hirn, honour president and vice CEO of the newspaper Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace. Louis Jung is also honour president of Council of Europe and president of the Robert Schuman Foundation. Described as “a great European and a great man of Europe”, Louis Jung holds all the characteristics of the Marcel Rudloff prize, “tolerance and respect of the competitor.”

During the ceremony, the laureate seemed moved to received this prize, all the more since it was named after one of his close friend.

-Johara BOUKABOUS

Picture: Mary Gober/Stock Exchange

Blond doesn’t blend

BabelParis — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:00:00 +02:00

There is something particular in having bright blond hair in Paris. I have always thought that people with goldilocks enjoy as special status in this city, but now I am convinced we are not only considered eccentric but nearly as endangered species. I was once walking on the street when a car stuffed with guys passed by. The comment was as eloquent as it was profound: “Look, there is a blond walking on the street!”

Who can catch a blonde?

Being a blonde has its pros and cons. First of all, you never forget your existence. No matter what you wear, even if you go out with an overall covering you from top to bottom, but there is a lock of hair jutting out of the mass of cloth, you will feel distressingly conscious of yourself. Secondly, you get your logopaedic skills to a whole new level when you learn to interpret sounds like ‘muuah’, ‘tssss’, ‘hrrrr’ or ‘uuuuph’. You also develop Matrix-like abilities to dodge every suspicious man on the street who wants to touch your hair, I suppose there is healing magic in it.

When you have lived almost quarter of a century with a bleached mop, you certainly do not consider it something out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, some men think it a compliment to state something as evident as the colour of my hair. Once a man sat next to me in the metro and started something vaguely reminding a flirty discourse and said ‘I like blondes”. He obviously thought that he had hit the nail and now was waiting for the reaction with the most satisfied look on this face. Understandably, I was not so impressed.

Magical magnet

Despite some testosteronic reactions that sometimes trouble my everyday life existence, it is actually very nice to be blond. I feel I am excused a lot of things and I am sure I would be even pardoned a state crime because of my golden hairline framing my angelic smile.

Fair hair also works the other way around: Things tend to happen to you when you look different. Human is not only intriguing but also a curious being, and I get to meet a lot of people because they come to talk to me. In addition, there are all sorts of little things you obtain like a Japanese pornographic anime film I “won” in a lottery in a bar.

Give me an inch and I will want a mile

However, there is a sort of a spoiling effect: You are so used to being an exception that you are appalled when treated normally. How come I have to pay the same price as everyone else? No reduction for blondes?

Or, if by any chance I see another goldilocks walking on the street, I feel a sudden rush of jealousy: Who she thinks she is? I am the blonde of Paris.

Soili Semkina

Monopoly game in the sky

BabelParis — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:42:00 +02:00

I sometimes feel like Europe is playing a huge monopoly game. Everybody wants to buy out everybody. It seems like industrial businessmen haven’t quite understood the meaning of European economical integration. Hey guys, “Single market” doesn’t mean that one should create European monopolies everywhere, so let’s calm down!

Well, the latest example is the abortive buy out transaction of Alitalia by Air France-KLM. We can remember that French and Dutch historical air operators merged in 2004. So, this is the Italian’s turn now. Crawling under functioning costs, on the verge of suspension of payment, Alitalia really needed a company fixer. It was also time to grow a little more.

Unfortunately for Air France-KLM and especially for Alitalia, the plan fizzled out mostly because of the Union opposition, which according Italian law must give their agreement for any changes of owner of Alitalia that remains half nationalised. Union demands, especially in terms of employment, were inadmissible for the buyer which has just announced its withdrawal. The issue hasn’t yet been solved for an Italian only solution, Alitalia recovery seems difficult to imagine today.

But the big question, which is bothering you all, I’m sure about that, is: why such a big appetite? Why buying a loss-making company, close to bankruptcy? Getting stuck with an Italian historical company barely alive, with on top of it Unions everywhere, shows some keenness! This is not enough to proclaim “I want to grow big”, a few empires collapsed for less than that…

The thing is we’re talking about air transportation. And air transportation is like energy, rails and phone, it works network-like. And if al of a sudden no one can reach the network, everyone is dead. Just imagine Air France saying all of a sudden: sorry about that but right now I can’t bring you to Naples since there are no more Rome-Naples timetables available…. Complicated, isn’t it?

Although, when one buys an air company, one buy something very precious named “slots”, i.e. landing and takes off timetables. And when a firm is well set up in an airport and has organised its network towards a national territory with a lot of “slots”, regular flights, it is called a hub. The Alitalia hub is located in Rome Fumicinio. And when a company has Rome-Fumiciano, it can organized its traffic toward all Italians airports.

So, I’m summing it up: Air France + KLM = Roissy Charles de Gaulle + Amsterdam + Rome Fumicinio. It represents a huge part of the European territory? And then one can organize its connections using the three firms, no more worries! When I told you that it looked like a Monopoly game! Talking about Monopoly, do you remember, there’s always someone buying all the train stations and making big bucks effortlessly and without even buying a hotel. That is the same situation (only with airplanes)!
In the end, if Air France-KLM was ready to take the risk to buy Alitalia out, it means that the access to the network is really a big deal. Proof is that Air France doesn’t give up on the case and taking a glance at… Iberia, the Spanish air company! So, instead of letting create European monopolies with all the misuses that could be caused, it may be time to rethink the famous “slot” system that still depends on EU members. Clearer access procedures could calm the national keenness down…

Alexis Brunelle
Translated by Johara Boukabous

EU-NATO : European defence after Bucharest

BabelParis — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 +02:00

This year, the NATO summit took place in Romania from April 2nd to April 4th. . Besides the membership agreements which ended up with the entrance of Croatia and Albania and the refusal of Georgia and Ukraine, this should have been a crucial event of international policy. After the Nicolas Sarkozy’s statements concerning, on the one hand, France’s reintegrating NATO’s integrated command structures and, on the other hand, the common destiny of NATO and the EU, we expected revolutionary declarations… but “revolutionary is not part of the international language.

A fake European summit

Since the speech pronounced by the American ambassador to NATO, Victoria Nuland, on February 22nd and 25th in Paris and at the London School of Economics, American leaders had never considered the European defence serious enough to be discussed at the international level. The ambassador recognized it herself in London : “You will think this is strange, a little suspicious -- to have the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, standing here, urging you – the British and international leaders of the future to build a stronger EU.” And indeed, this is a step forward. Eventually, leaders dare acknowledge the existence of another international organisation capable to secure the safety of citizens worldwide… No! We’re going a little bit too far here, aren’t we? Of course European defence does exist – quite difficult to ignore the institutional and operational reality of an organisation NATO actually sealed a strategic agreement with in 2003. But having the Americans say that the European Union is able to secure the world’s safety, there is an insurmountable epistemological obstacle. Less adventurous than his Ambassador, President Bush never took the risk of speaking about “European security and defence policy”, or maybe was it anecdotal.

EDSP : A legitimacy recognized

Considering what American leaders say, if ESDP is not completely finalised yet to be regarded as equal to the powerful NATO, it has reinforced European military presence all around the world – not only in the Balkans. As a consequence, EU has become a crucial political and strategic counterpart. Crucial for the future of NATO itself, which urgently needs to reconsider its priority accordingly with the new “global threats”; crucial also from an organic perspective as, today, 21 States over 28 which are members of NATO are also members of the EU. The United-States which, as everybody knows, handle NATO’s capacity budget cannot fairly ignore the efficiency of a European defence to which the 8/10th of its own members contribute. This leads George Bush to say, and this is unique, that “The building of a strong Alliance also needs a strong European defence capacity”. But, once more, be careful! Do not speak out the words of the American president because he actually speaks about strengthening the “European defence capacity” and not European defence as such. If he encourages the European partners to improve their defence budget, George Bush mentions nor the institutional neither the political strengthening of European defence structures – e.g. the European Defence Agency, the Operation Centre, the EU major state – and God knows that between statements and the implementation of forces and finance there is a wide gap. However, if coordination and operational structures remain minimalists, it’s just as if you were filling a hallowed basket.

What could have been interpreted as a conceptual revolution on the part of the US simply is, if you look better, just another example of its impertinence : “So at this summit, I will encourage our European partners to increase their defense investments to support both NATO and EU operations. America believes if Europeans invest in their own defense, they will also be stronger and more capable when we deploy together.” In other words, no way ESDP should act as a free rider? We encourage you to develop yourself only if we can benefit from it.

An autonomous European defence … but not an independent one.

As for president Sarkozy, the words he pronounced at Bucharest echoed what he had been repeating for months since his speech to the Ambassadors last August 27th “ This Summit is extremely important? It is a way to confirm the Alliance and to strengthen the European defence. We need the United States and the United States need strong allies.” This last sentence speaks for itself: both of the institutions are inevitably linked. So even if the French president keeps on saying that he wants an “autonomous” and “stronger” Europe, he also admits that it will continue to depend on the Americans. Americans hold the defence economy to such an extent that it has become outrageous to speak about “NATO’s umbrella” – we should better speak about a “capacity drip”.

Finally, it is very laudable to support Europe’s autonomy, but until EU member States will continue to have their defence interests determined by economic and industrial agreements orchestrated by the US, there will never be any real independence. And if there’s no self appropriation of the European defence economy, then ESDP will always be the thing of an invisible hand called NATO.