Global Market

British PM Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have issued a joint call for urgent global reform of financial markets.

Get more of the scoop here.

-david

la France n'enverra pas un soldat de plus

In an interview with le Figaro, Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed that France will not be sending any more soldiers to Afghanistan. This statement comes in spite of the repeated demands for reinforcements.

"Must we stay in Afghanistan? I respond, yes. And stay to win," indicated le Président. In his eyes, the answer lies not in more allied troop manpower, but in "more afghan soldiers." Sarkozy continued, "it will be them who will mostly efficiently win this war, because it is their country."

This statement comes at a time when US President, Barack Obama, is considering sending even more American troops into the country. It seems unlikely that any allies wishing to end this war soon will be pleased with the comments.

-david

Sarkozy est faché

Nicholas Sarkozy, Barack Obama, and Gordon Brown accused Iran on Friday morning at the Pittsburgh G20 of having a second nuclear site. Iran has been given until December to conform to international laws or or face more UN sanctions.

"Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow, endangering the global nonproliferation regime, denying its own people access to the opportunity they deserve, and threatening the stability and security of the region and the world. It is time for Iran to act immediately to restore the confidence of the international community by fulfilling its international obligations," President Obama said.

Appearing alongside Mr. Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said sanctions "will have to be taken" if Iran doesn't address the matter by December. "What has been revealed today is exceptional," Mr. Sarkozy said. "We were already in a very severe confidence crisis, we are now faced with a challenge, a challenge made to the entire international community."

-david

Sarkozy will send 800 soldiers to Afghanistan

President Sarkozy recently confirmed a plan to send 800 French soldiers to Afghanistan to reinforce the French contingent already stationed in Kabul. This contingent consists of about 1,700 soldiers including pilots, troops and other matériels.



For more on the French presence in Afghanistan:
Le Figaro: Afghanistan : plus de 800 soldats français en renfort

France may be no-show at Olympic opening ceremonies

With rumors of possible blackouts of the upcoming Olympic opening ceremonies by the Chinese government because of possible protests over Tibet, President Sarkozy is apparently still debating whether or not the France will be in attendance. Sarkozy is opposed to a complete boycott of the summer games, but is still considering a boycott of the opening ceremonies. Still, he hopes that he can "appeal to the Chinese leaders' sense of responsibility."

For more on the possible French boycott:
BBC News: Sarkozy threat to Olympic opening

Thanks to Mary Wagers for bringing this story to our attention. If you ever have a story you'd like us to feature email us at byufrenchstudies@gmail.com

Sarkozy dedicates new nuclear sub and pledges to reduce French nuclear arsenal

Last week President Sarkozy dedicated France's fourth nuclear-armed submarine "Le Terrible". At the dedication, Sarkozy also said that the French would continue to focus on reducing their cache of nuclear warheads by bringing the number of warheads carried by planes to under 300.



Read more about Le Terrible and Sarkozy's plan for its nuclear arms:
NY Times: France Adds Nuclear Sub and Vows to Cut Warheads
Le Monde: Nicolas Sarkozy remet à jour la doctrine nucléaire
Le Figaro: Sarkozy veut relancer le désarmement nucléaire

AGV to replace the TGV on French rails

The Automotrice à grande vitesse or AGV, presented last month by the Alstrom Corporation, is set to take the place of the famous French TGV (train à grande vitesse). Reaching speeds of 350 to 360 km/h, the AGV is not only faster than the TGV, but also more energy efficient. The new train is also being envisioned for future export if successful. President Sarkozy was on hand for the unveiling of the new train.

For more on the new AGV:
Le Figaro: Embarquez à bord de l’AGV !

Sarkozy's Controversial Plan for Holocaust Education

President Sarkozy sparked new controversy late last week when he announced that every fifth-grader in France would learn about the Holocaust by studying the story of one of the 11,000 French children that were victims of the Holocaust. Some think that this would only serve to traumatize children so young.

During the same speech Sarkozy is reported to have blamed the wars and violence in recent history on an "absence of God." The statement was seen by secularists as yet another example of the President's overzealous promotion of religion in the face of the country's traditional separation of church and state.

Find more on the topic:
NY Times: By Making Holocaust Personal to Pupils, Sarkozy Stirs Anger

French President Sarkozy Marries Ex-Model

Carla Bruni went from being a model to being a pop-singer and now to being the new French first lady.

First seen together around mid-December at Disneyland after Sarkozy's divorce from former wife Cécilia Sarkozy, Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni were married over the weekend in a short ceremony at the Élysée Palace.


For more on the couple and their recent marriage:
Le Figaro: Carla et Nicolas : mariés !
NY Times: French Leader and Ex-Model Wed in Quiet Ceremony

Sarkozy and wife divorce

It has recently been confirmed that French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife have seperated in an amicable divorce.




Read more here:
Le divorce du couple Sarkozy "s'est très bien passé", selon leur avocate commune

The New French Revolution

A couple of days ago, a few people brought to my attention an interesting op-ed piece in The New York Times.

This piece, written by Roger Cohen, gives his opinion on some of the changes we might soon see in the French national culture due to the newly elected President of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Read the op-ed piece by Roger Cohen here:
NY Times: The French Revolution

Sarkozy Wins Election

Nicolas Sarkozy has won the recent French elections becoming the next Président de la République. 44.5 million votes were cast bringing election participation to 86%, the highest it has been since 1965.

NY Times: No Sex, Please, We're French

Nephi Henry sent us this great op-ed piece from the New York Times by Stephen Clarke that appeared last Friday.

It's really interesting when you compare France's past presidential candidates (usually older and balding) with its current candidates (younger and decidedly better looking) like Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal (pictured).

With this race's two heavy-weight candidates being much easier on the eyes than their predecessors it is no surprise that sexual conduct has become a topic of political consideration.

Read the whole NY Times op-ed piece here.