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Archive for 'Politics'

Having fun at the G8

Rich world leaders are meeting in Japan (and making promises they can't keep), and demonstrators are having a ball. Little Sarko is bottom left in the first pic, and third from left in the second.

Posted: Tue 08-Jul-08 under Politics, Events

Bids are open for the Penmobile (Not anymore)

Far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen (inset) is selling his company car on EBay. It's a level-2 bulletproof '92 Peugeot 605, with airco, central locking, leather upholstery and tinted windows. It doesn't have a gas chamber, but that's merely a detail.
Update: the sale has been suspended after jokers went wild and bids had reached 10 […]

Posted: Wed 30-Apr-08 under Politics, Oops

Don't Have Babies Here

After the town where nobody is allowed to die, French communes are now telling people not to have babies.

Every once in a while the French still show their revolutionary spirit.
Around 100 communes in central France are boycotting this weekend's municipal elections. They're angry with the state's decision to close the maternity ward in a […]

Posted: Sat 08-Mar-08 under Politics, Environment & Health, Oops

Who is this man?

The doctor without borders who became a statesman without borders.
The New York Times dedicates a slideshow and an article to him.

Posted: Fri 07-Mar-08 under People, Politics

Nick's famous last words keep haunting him

Now you see him. Now you don't.
After last year's presidential elections, some towns refused to hang Sarkozy's official portrait (left) on the wall in their mairie. Now they have an even more offensive way to show their disgust and mistrust. I found the image on the right on Sarkostique. The text refers to Sarko's (in)famous […]

Posted: Wed 05-Mar-08 under Politics, Oops, Sarkozy & Co

French politicians don't kiss babies

They hug lambs, cuddle goats and stroke cows.

Posted: Wed 27-Feb-08 under Politics

Speedy Sarko beats them all

Cheer up, guys — it's part of the job.
Anything a French prez can do, Sarkozy can do faster. It took François Mitterand and Jacques Chirac years to see their popularity slump to 36%, Nicolas Sarkozy did it in just nine months!
Good job, Nick — try a bit harder, and you'll even beat Bush's 26% […]

Posted: Wed 20-Feb-08 under Politics, Sarkozy & Co

Boz is Back

In the run-up to the French presidential elections no blogger covered the events better than Joshua Boswell, aka Boz. Now he's back with a new blog: Sarkozy the American. In his own words:
As it's become impossible to resist commenting on the recent political happenings in France and the US, I've decided to start this new […]

Posted: Sat 09-Feb-08 under Politics, Web

How to become president: spend less on make-up

Beautiful candidates: spending 85,000 euros together on make-up.
Scientific proof: spending less on make-up gives you a better chance to become president.
Election campaigns in France are closely monitored by official accountants. The commission nationale des comptes de campagne has just published the figures for last year's presidential campaign.
As it turns out, Ségolène Royal spent 51,659 […]

Posted: Sat 19-Jan-08 under Politics

Living Acronym

PPDA and his less flattering alter-ego in a televised puppet show.
You know you've made it in France if people remember you by your initials. Just ask MAM, BHL, DSK, BB and PPDA (shown above).
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor is France's most popular newsreader. But, according to a new book, he's not a very nice man. Times blogger […]

Posted: Mon 14-Jan-08 under People, Politics

Nobel winners to marry 'Happiness' with French GDP

Joseph E. Stiglitz and Amartya Sen
Sarkozy: "We must change the way we measure economic growth."
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy is seeking the help of two Nobel prize winners to develop a new definition of French economic growth.
Ex-World Bank chief economist Joseph Stiglitz (wiki) is to lead a taskforce along with Indian economist Armatya Sen (wiki) […]

Posted: Wed 09-Jan-08 under Politics, Economy & Biz

Will this man die for his cause?

The populist popular leader has a large following.
As announced before Christmas, green activist José Bové will start his hunger strike tomorrow, together with fifteen other fighters against GM (genetically modified) crops. They want an immediate GM moratorium. Three things can happen:
1) the government gives in
2) Bové gives up
3) Bové dies
I bet on 1)
Source (in French) […]

Posted: Wed 02-Jan-08 under People, Food, Drink & Smoke, Politics

The world as seen by Jacques Chirac

Advertisement for Russian magazine Novynar. A bit outdated, but still representative for the thinking of many French. Click the image to see why.
(There are also a similar posters with the world according to Bush and Kim Jong-Il.
Via Ads of the World

Posted: Wed 02-Jan-08 under Politics

Sisters in arms

Husband savers: Bernadette and Hillary
The First Ladies' Club: Bernadette Chirac backs Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign has won a glowing endorsement from an unexpected source – Bernadette Chirac, the former first lady of France. The women, who have been friends since they were first ladies together in the late 1990s, have at least one thing […]

Posted: Sat 24-Nov-07 under People, Politics

Jacques the Scammer?

Interesting weeks ahead: Chirac formally probed over scam
Former French President Jacques Chirac is facing formal investigation for alleged embezzlement of public funds when mayor of Paris. The case relates to a scheme whereby up to 40 rightist sympathisers were allegedly given jobs by Paris city hall.
Chirac has consistently denied any wrongdoing while he was mayor […]

Posted: Wed 21-Nov-07 under Politics, Oops

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