Sarkozy Stops 60 Minutes Interview

There has been a lot of reporting about the 60 Minutes interview last Sunday of French President Nicolas Sarkozy by Leslie Stahl which was abruptly halted by Sarkozy. I read an article about it in the newspaper this morning, and the headline, the front page teaser, and the article itself mildly suggested that Sarkozy was rude in so doing. I did see a video clip of the portion where the interview was stopped, and if anyone was rude, it was Ms. Stahl, in my opinion.

Sarkozy answered her questions until she started pressing him about gossip regarding his wife. Note that this interview took place about two weeks before the French President and his wife of 11 years filed for divorce. After opening his eyes wide in apparent surprise that such a question was asked, Sarkozy said that if he were to be making any remarks about her it would not be in this interview. Stahl pushed a second time, and Sarkozy simply said that he would not answer questions on that subject. Undaunted, Stahl kept at it and pointed out that such a question had arisen in the press conference that day held by Sarkozy’s spokesman but the latter answered with a “no comment”. Sarkozy said of course he made no comment, since the matter is personal and also not relevant. Stahl badgered him once again, and at that point it was strike three. Sarkozy simply took off his headset and declared the interview over. Reports of what was said afterwards included alleged comments by Sarkozy that he was angry at his press secretary for scheduling an interview like this on such a busy day, and that the interview was “stupid”.

Regardless, it seems that Ms. Stahl could have respected Mr. Sarkozy’s obvious desire to stay away from questions about his wife and his personal life, but she did not. Those who follow Sarkozy know that he is a no-nonsense person. He did not get visibly angry or belligerent, and he approached Stahl and touched her shoulder as if to say I’m sorry this had to end like this (this is my personal interpretation). It’s my opinion that Stahl got what she deserved.

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Sarkozy vs. Unions- Who Will Win?

There is an interesting social dynamic playing out in France right now, and if you are traveling there this could affect your ability to get around. The unions are making their first major challenge to President Nicolas Sarkozy. He set as one of the goals during his campaign the elimination of a particular benefit enjoyed by certain government employed public service workers, that is, the right to retire at the age of 50. This privilege had been made law in the past for certain categories of workers, in particular those who work for the SNCF, the national railroad company, which is of course owned by the state. The rationale at the time this law was adopted was that at 50 years of age a person is no longer physically capable to perform some critical functions, like driving trains, for example.

Sarkozy feels that the law is outdated and is unfair. In addition he wants to save the government some 7-9 billion euros per year (if the figures I have read are accurate). For those not aware, retirements in France are financed by the state.

The unions of course don’t want to give up this privilege, so they called a strike last week, and a large number of people, especially those who would benefit from this privilege, went out on strike. This caused transport to come to a virtual halt in many areas, especially in Paris where the strike lasted several days, catching many people off guard.

Normally in a case like this where a large number of people hit the streets and make a mess of the country, the government gives in quickly and negotiates some sort of deal so normality can return. This time, however, Sarkozy and his government have been adamant and have refused to back off. There are some subsequent ongoing discussions between the government and the unions, but to date no one has changed a position, and the unions have threatened to call more strikes in November.

A poll just released indicated that 68% of French people are not favorable to the claims of the unions, so it appears Sarkozy has a good deal of support from the general public. The unions have the power to bring things to a halt, however, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. A related issue being debated is “guaranteed minimum service”. This means that during periods of strikes a minimum number of trains and other means of transport would be guaranteed so people can get to and from work and home. Of course the unions don’t want this either as it lessens the effectiveness of their strikes and their ability to get what they want out of the government.

A page has certainly turned in France with the election of Sarkozy. The events of the next few weeks and months will have a lot to say about how effectively he can execute his campaign promises and how much, if any, the unions will be forced to back off.

If you travel to France any time soon, keep an eye on whether strikes will cause you difficulty. In fact the flight attendants of Air France are also on strike right now and many Air France flights are being cancelled.

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Free Museums in France for 6 Months

The Minister of Culture in France, Christine Albanel, just announced that a number of museums in France will open their doors to the public for free for a period of six months starting at the beginning of the coming new year. The reason for this effort is to determine if a greater permanent audience for these museums can be created and subsequently sustained after the free six month period. In addition, the museums concerned are interested in increasing the number of young adults between 18-25 years of age who visit museums in France.

The largest and most well-known museums in the country will not participate but will offer one free night a week to 18-25 year olds. These museums include the Pompidou museum on Wednesdays, the Musee d’Orsay on Thursdays, the Quai Branly on Saturdays, and the Louvre on Friday nights. This is not a new policy for the Louvre as it already had such a free program in place for young adults. These museums are not necessarily looking to increase their general audience, as they are normally full all the time.

The museums that will participate in the free program for the six month period include several museums in the Paris area including Guimet, Cluny, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Ecouen, and the museum in Bourget. Outside of Paris the institutions participating include the marine museum in Toulon, the museum Adrien Dubouche in Limoges, the Magnin museum in Dijon, the palais de Tau in Reims, the palais Jacques Coeur in Bourges, the chateau d’Oiron, the national museum of the chateau de Pau, and the chateau de Pierrefonds.

The permanent collections of these institutions will be open free to the public for six months. The French government is covering the 2.2 million euros cost of the program so the participating museums will not lose money. A subcontractor will be hired to track results and determine the success of the program. If you are in Paris from January through June, look up one or more of these institutions and treat yourself to a free visit.

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