http://www.ambafrance-us.org http://www.france.diplomatie.fr

VOL. 05.14 DECEMBER 21, 2005

A free triweekly review of French news & trends Online at: www.ambafrance-us.org/publi Chirac Renews French Commitment to Africa INSIDE 2 L’événement Chinese Premier’s FRICAN SECURITY turned out to be the main focus of FRANCEMAINTAINS VAST ARCHEOLOGICAL PROGRAM Visit Strengthens Ties the two-day Franco-African summit on December 3 and 4 The advisory commission on archaeological research abroad 3 -Amérique in Bamako, the capital city of Mali, although the stated met in from December 8 to14 to consider the support Microsoft Opens theme of the conference was "African youth" (two out of that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide French Research Lab in France Athree Africans are younger than 25). The biennial summit was the archaeological missions around the world in 2006. From 23rd of its kind, the practice having been initiated in 1973 by French Sakha (Yakutiya) to the islands of Patagonia, from Cameroon 4 Profil President Georges Pompidou. The development commissioner of the to Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Ministry supports 160 missions , France’s European Union, Louis Michel, also attended the summit. in 60 different countries, with traditionally strong presences in , Egypt and Turkey. In 2006 total allocations to French Most Popular Politician archaeological research abroad will be 2.8 million euros. Of 5 Économie / Science 170 applications considered, 160 were selected, including First Partial eight new missions. A special effort will be made to assist archaeological missions in Lebanon, in close partnership with Face Transplant local scientific authorities. 6 Société 100 Years of Secularism With regards to immigration, Chirac announced that French con- sulates would immediately take steps to facilitate the delivery of long- 7 Culture term visas to African entrepreneurs, executives, artists, teachers and Contemporary researchers, so as to promote cooperation and exchange. He also pro- Iraqi Art in Paris posed measures that would encourage African exchange students to 8 Chez nous return to their countries of origin at the completion of their studies, Paul Gauguin thereby staunching the brain drain that debilitates the continent. Chirac also called on the rich nations of the world to double their Exhibit in Texas African aid to help pull the continent out of poverty. The plight of Africa is gaining more international attention, as was evidenced at the President , President Amadou Toumani Touré of G-8 meeting in July, where world leaders pledged to double their aid to Mali and Mrs. Tamoifo-Nkom, spokesperson of the Youth of African nations, adding $24 billion by 2010. France has also just Africa, during the summit’s last press conference. AMBASSADE DE FRANCE approved a plan, supported by almost 80 other countries, to tax air- AUX ETATS-UNIS France has always had a close relationship with large parts of plane tickets so as to raise money to fight AIDS, malaria, and other dis- Africa due to its continued cooperation with its former colonies, but eases that wreak havoc in Africa (see NFF 05.13). l l it now wishes to expand the scope of its links with the continent. French President Jacques Chirac addressed the 53 African leaders or LAURE MANAUDOU SETS TWO WORLD SWIMMING RECORDS representatives at the meeting, stating, "Since the declarations of French swimmer Laure Manaudou capped a independence you have changed, and so have we. But what will not remarkable week when she won three titles and change is France's resolute commitment to Africa." Ultimately, France wants to be Africa’s "lawyer" in the international broke two world records at the European short arena, by maintaining active support of the continent's security and course championships in Trieste, Italy.On helping African countries successfully take charge of their own peace- December 9, 19-year old Manaudou broke the keeping and crisis 800-meter freestyle world best when she interventions. The clocked eight minutes 11.25 to beat by some African Union shares two seconds the record set last year by this goal, and hopes to Japanese Sachiko Yamada. She then won the set up its own peace- 100-meter backstroke title that same day, keeping force by 2010, before smashing the 400-meter freestyle world with France's help. The record on the 10th. Manaudou clocked three major areas that cur- minutes 56.79, almost three seconds faster than American Lindsay Benko, rently need particular who had set the previous record in 2003. “I surprised myself," said a delight- attention from an ed Manaudou. "I think I broke this world record (400 meter) because I was African-controlled stressed. I hate to lose. So as I cannot stand a defeat I always give everything organization are the I have." Manaoudou added she wanted to swim as much as possible to go crises in the on beating records. "The more I swim, the more I win, the more I better my Welcome ceremony in Bamako, Mali. and in Darfur, Sudan. times, the more powerful I feel," she said. "I wish it could never stop."

1 En bref current events IRAQI PRIME MINISTER L’ÉVÉNEMENT VISITS FRANCE Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister Hoshyar Zebari expressed confidence in the sta- bility of the French-Iraqi relationship Chinese Premier's Visit Strengthens Ties during a recent visit to Paris (November 27 to 29), at the invitation of French RANCE WELCOMED Chinese Premier Wen finance all play increasingly critical roles in the Chinese economy, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy. Jiabao for an official state visit from December 4 to 7. and they are all sectors in which French companies excel. He emphasized that "there exists nei- The visit focused primarily on strengthening eco- French and Chinese officials and business leaders signed ther distrust nor bad blood between Iraq and France." He also said that Iraq nomic ties between the two nations, an area that has many economic agreements relating to those areas over the Foften lagged behind their cultural and political relations. course of the visit. For instance, Eurocopter will team up with is ready and willing to implement sev- eral proposed French initiatives, partic- Although bilateral trade between Chinese companies to design ularly in the fields of security, recon- France and China has more than and build a new 16-seat heli- struction, and education. doubled since 2003, trade between copter. Alcatel will work with the two countries has historically Chinasat to build a new com- FRANCE LAUNCHES been weak—France's share of the munications satellite. Oil com- GLOBAL NEWS NETWORK Chinese market is only 1.4 percent, pany Total will build a service ranking fifteenth worldwide. station network in the Experts suggest that economic ties Shanghai region. And France between the two countries are rela- Telecom and communications tively undeveloped because France's equipment provider ZTE economy is not very labor-depen- French President Jacques Chirac welcomes Corp. signed a strategic part- dent, whereas China's economy has Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to the Elysée Palace nership agreement. France has officially launched an inter- traditionally centered on readily available labor. Perhaps the most important contract to be signed during national news network that is billed as Now, however, with the Chinese economy one of the fastest the visit was China's purchase of 150 Airbus A320 jetliners for the "French CNN." The creation of the growing in the world, new opportunities for cooperation $9.7 billion, a record commercial aviation contract. Airbus is Chaîne Française d'Information abound. Energy, transportation, space, telecommunications, and considering opening an assembly line in China as well. l l Internationale (CFII) was formally approved on November 30 by the French cabinet. The network has been in development since February 2002, Anti-Terrorism Laws Strengthened when French President Jacques Chirac called for the creation of an "interna- HE FRENCH NATIONAL Assembly overwhelming- In addition to boosting video surveillance, the new law tional news channel in French able to ly voted on November 29 to further strengthen France's will also increase the ability of the police to access tele- rival the BBC and CNN," that would Tanti-terrorist laws, which are already among the tough- phone and computer data as well as previously confidential "show … the values of France and its est in the European Union. Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy information concerning passengers traveling by rail, sea or vision of the world." The network will introduced the bill in response to the July attacks in London, in air. Measures aimed at disrupting the illegal networks that provide news in French around the which 56 people lost their lives as suicide bombers hit the finance terrorist activities will be reinforced, and terrorism clock, except for a four-hour slot British capital's transportation network during rush hour. cases will carry longer prison terms. devoted to English broadcasts. Arabic The new measures will greatly increase the number of Sarkozy hopes the new law will "equip France with a more and Spanish programming may also be added later on. CFII, which will be a video surveillance systems in public places, by permitting their effective arsenal to prevent terrorist acts," allowing "the law joint public-private operation (France 2- installation not only within the public transportation system, enforcement authorities greater means to avoid a catastrophe." TF1) presided over by Alain de but also in places of worship and in businesses. France cur- The French Senate adopted the law on December 15, and a joint Pouzilhac (pictured), is rently only has 60,000 public video cameras in operation, com- parliamentary commission will now conciliate the two different scheduled to go on the air pared with an estimated 4 to 7 million in Great Britain. British versions so as to propose a definitive text before Christmas. The by the end of 2006. authorities were able to rapidly identify the London bombers law includes a sunset provision, which will allow Parliament to thanks to the video footage obtained with these cameras. reconsider the need for some of these measures in 2008. l l IRANIAN DISSIDENT GETS FRENCH HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE Iranian human rights activist 10th Anniversary of Dayton Accords Marked in Paris and dissident Emaddedin Baghi is the 2005 recipient of N CELEBRATION OF the tenth anniversary of the sign- making it "one of the worst tragedies in contemporary history" France's annual human rights ing of the Dayton Accords, which brought an end to the according to Chirac. The French military's decision to take award. Baghi leads the Iwar in Bosnia, French President control of the strategic Vrbanja Committee for the Defense Jacques Chirac and Foreign Affairs bridge in Sarajevo on May 27, of Prisoners' Rights and Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy 1995, marked the beginning of the works to improve prison con- played host to the three members end of the siege of Sarajevo and the ditions and challenge the of the collegial presidency of first steps towards peace in the death penalty in Iran. During Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ivo Miro region. France soon thereafter lob- his work, Baghi has gone Jovic, Sulejman Tihic and Borislav bied for a more assertive multilat- head-to-head with Iran's cleri- cal regime, resulting in his Paravac. These three political lead- eral policy, and President Clinton's own three-year imprisonment ers embody the mending of ethnic support led to forceful NATO in 2000. Baghi hopes rifts in their country, as Jovic is a Sulejman Tihic (left), Miro Ivo Jovic (second from involvement. The Dayton Accords France's recognition will Croat, Tihic is a Muslim, and left), Borislav Paravac (right) and French Foreign were negotiated in the Dayton, "motivate human rights Paravac is a Serbian. Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy mark the 10th Ohio, air base during November activists [by demonstrating] France was actively involved in anniversary of the Dayton Accords in Paris. and officially signed in Paris on that their efforts are not hid- the resolution of the Bosnian conflict which ultimately left December 14, 1995. Eighty-four French soldiers lost their lives den from the outside world." 2 260,000 dead and 1.8 million displaced from their homes, in combat in Bosnia-Herzegovina. l l PLANTU, ATTALI, France & America D'ENCAUSSE TO TOUR U.S. The Alliance Française has confirmed a flur- ry of conferences featuring famous French speakers in early 2006. The first of these speakers, Plantu, is renowned for his inci- Microsoft Opens French Research Lab sive comics adorning the front page of the daily Le Monde. He will speak in ICROSOFT RESEARCH, the R&D arm of Research's branch in Cambridge. Bernard Ourghanlian, Greenwich, New York, Clemson, Microsoft Corporation, will be teaming up Microsoft France's technical and security director, agreed, Washington D.C., Missoula, San Francisco, with the French National Institute for Research saying, "We have maintained a strong relationship with San Diego, Atlanta, and Charlottesville, from January 15 to February 2. Jacques in Computer Science and Control (INRIA) to INRIA for a long time. … For us, establishing a joint labora- Attali, a longtime advisor to late president Mbuild and operate a new laboratory in the Paris region of tory with the Institute seemed perfectly natural." François Mitterrand and a well-known France (see NFF 05.07). The lab, scheduled to open in INRIA employs 2,700 computer scientists in seven economist who became the first president January, "will investigate two key research areas: software and regions of France and works with French business to of the European Bank for Reconstruction systems security, and the development of new computing conduct state-of-the-art research in computer program- and Development, will be in Washington tools for scientists," said Jean-Pierre Verjus, spokesperson for ming. Microsoft Research employs 750 people and oper- D.C., Miami, San Francisco, and several INRIA. The new laboratory is part of Microsoft CEO Bill ates six labs on three continents. Details regarding intel- other cities from March 6 to March 13. Gates's EuroScience Initiative, a plan to expand Microsoft's lectual property rights and the degree to which Microsoft Hélène Carrère d'Encausse, a leading research collaborations in Europe. will be allowed to profit from the laboratory's research authority on Russian and Slavic history and the second woman to be admitted into "By working with internationally leading organizations are still being negotiated, although INRIA officials the French Academy in its 350 years of such as INRIA, Microsoft is able to drive momentum in new emphasize that Microsoft will not hold sole property existence (she is now its secrétaire per- kinds of science and computing, building on strong founda- rights to the laboratory's software. For more informa- pétuel, or de facto president), will be tour- tions," said Andrew Herbert, managing director of Microsoft tion, please visit www.inria.fr. l l ing the U.S. from March 20 to March 31 (exact itinerary yet to be determined). To Phillips Collection on Display in Paris learn more, visit www.alliance-us.org. RUNAWAY CAT FLIES BUSINESS IXTY-SEVEN PAINTINGS and sculptures from the 1966, his passion lives on through his selected pieces, which Workers at office supply firm Raflatac in Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., are being dis- were revealed to the public for the first time in 1921, and have Nancy, France, were surprised to see an played at the Musée since become a legendary staple in emaciated tabby cat emerge from a ship- S ment crate on October 24. Their surprise du in Paris. the Washington art world. changed to astonishment once they Among them are works Perhaps the most famous piece in checked Emily's tags and discovered she'd by Degas, Renoir, Sisley, the collection is "Le Déjeuner des traveled all the way from the U.S. The 1- Giacometti, Van Gogh, Canotiers" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, year-old tabby had spent three weeks and Monet. The collec- the painting that many may recognize without food or water in a cargo contain- tion is world-renowned from its appearance as a reproduction er, after wandering into a Wisconsin paper for its quality and appeal, in the house of Amélie Poulain's company's distribution center in and it is earning rave neighbor in the movie Amélie. "It is September. The French company immedi- reviews in Paris. probably the last occasion to see this ately contacted Emily’s family in the U.S., Duncan Phillips, the painting in Europe" says Jean-Louis and Joelle de Becker of Raflatac took care of the cat for a month while she cleared founder of the collection, Prat, the commissioner of the exposi- quarantine. To spare Emily the trauma of a attended Yale, where he tion. For Duncan Philips, this painting return trip in an aircraft's hold, Continental studied ancient and Le Déjeuner des Canotiers alone was worth all of the Giorgones by Pierre-Auguste Renoir Airlines flew her back in business modern art. He wrote or Titians in the world. class, in a seat that normally goes and published numerous articles and frequently traveled to The Paris exhibit will run though March 26, after which for $6,000. On the flight back, Europe, where he amassed a collection that he felt would the collection will head to the MoMA in New York City. To she snubbed a peppered salmon reflect his passion for contemporary art. Though he died in learn more, visit www.museeduluxembourg.fr. l l filet, opting for a can of French cat food instead.

STARSKY & HUTCH American Plays Napoleon in Record Austerlitz Re-Enactment GO FRENCH The 1970s U.S. cop show "Starsky PPROXIMATELY 30,000 spectators and 3,500 Williamsburg, Virginia. Schneider, who is half French and and Hutch" will be remade for participants from all over the world came together speaks French fluently, was chosen to play the main role French TV. But expect a French Ato celebrate the 200th because of his striking twist! The title characters, for anniversary of Napoleon's famous resemblance to the French instance, have been renamed victory at Austerlitz on December military leader. Duval and Madani. Fear not, the 3 in the small Czech town that is The organizers of Austerlitz show will retain its essence, with now known as Slavkov u Brna. On 2005 spent seven years and approximately half of the 22 initial December 2, 1805, 75,000 French $610,000 preparing the re- episodes being based on scripts soldiers defeated a joint Austro- enactment outside Brno, in from the original series. Also get- ting a makeover (literally) is Russian force of 91,000 in what the southeast of the Czech Captain Dobey: the character will became Napoleon's most famous Republic. This is the biggest now be portrayed by a woman. victory. The key stages of the event of its kind ever staged Huggy Bear, the fast-talking street strategic battle were reenacted in in Europe. Spectators paid informant who helps the two the original location for the first $72 for good seats, and detectives, will be renamed César. time ever, and the French emper- Napoleon, played by Mark Schneider of $10.8 for cheaper tickets. The show has been commissioned or himself led his troops. He was Virginia, celebrates his brilliant victory The 1-1/2-hour-long re- by the M6 channel and shooting will begin in December. played by Mark Schneider, a 37-year-old American from enactment was aired live on Czech public television. l l 3 In Depth Review PROFIL Simone Veil: a French Icon As France prepares to mark the 61th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27, a liberation which put an end to one of the most horrifying episodes in human history, NFF celebrates one of France’s most famous deportees, Simone Veil, who continues to play a key role in the country’s political and social life. Indeed, in a recently released poll, she was named France's most popular political figure, with an impressive 80 percent of respondents expressing a positive opinion of her. Surmounting Adversity with Principled Determination

IMONE JACOB was born July These early struggles prepared Veil for a topic of great controversy: that of abor- 13, 1927, the daughter of a Jewish tion. Named minister of health by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in 1974, she Sarchitect in Nice. Her father was promptly introduced a law to the French National Assembly that would authorize banned from working in 1941 under voluntary terminations of pregnancy. She endured a barrage of attacks, even from the pretext that Jews could not account those within her own party, but ultimately succeeded in passing the law by allying for more than 2 percent of the total with members of the opposition party. This victory represented a considerable step workforce in a profession. In March forward in establishing a woman's right to choose. l l 1944, at the age of 17, her entire family, THE HORROR OF AUSCHWITZ with the exception of one sister who Simone Veil was unfortunately was working with the French not unique among French Jews in her Resistance, was stopped by the Gestapo deportation to Auschwitz. After the and deported to the concentration de facto French government—the camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Veil spent 13 harrowing months there and survived, but Vichy regime—took control of France she lost her parents and brothers to the camp. following the nation's military defeat Veil persevered, and did not succumb to despair. After the Liberation she moved to in 1940, it essentially became a pup- Paris, where she continued her studies. After receiving her baccalaureate in 1944, she pet state of the Nazis and collaborat- enrolled at the Institute of Political Studies (IEP) and then at a law school, eventually ed with them on political issues, becoming a magistrate. During her studies she met her husband, Antoine Veil, whom including racial policies. Military com- mander Otto Stuelpnagel used the she married in 1946 and with whom she had three children. In 1950, Veil decided to fol- attempted murder of a German offi- The sign above the Auschwitz concentra- low her husband, a high-ranking civil servant, to where he had been posted. cer in Paris in December 1941 as an tion camp reads: "Work makes you free" Returning to Paris after her stay in Germany, Veil was inspired to get actively excuse to escalate anti-Semitic involved in her nation's political affairs, using her training as a magistrate to champion actions which led to the first arrests and deportations of Jews in Western Europe. the modernizing trend occurring at that time in France. She first stretched her political More than a thousand Jewish prisoners left France on March 27, 1942, in the wings in an effort to convince the National Penitentiary Administration to improve the first train to Auschwitz, spreading fear and panic across the French Jewish popula- conditions for detained inmates. She then fought hard to reform adoption rights, and tion. The perceived "success" of this first evacuation led to an escalation in depor- to provide illegitimate children with the same rights afforded to children tation actions. In July of the same year, another 13,000 Parisian Jews were taken born into a traditional household. from Paris, and held without food or drink for several days in the Velodrome d'Hiver sports complex before being transported to an interim camp in Drancy, northeast of Paris. There the Parisian deportees joined others from across the country, most From Nazi Victim to of whom were subsequently sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Such deportations con- tinued until France's liberation in 1944. Throughout the war, an estimated 77,000 Advocate of Europe Jews from France were murdered in Nazi concentration camps.

FTER HER DEPARTURE from French poli- return to a French government position in 1993, when she tics in 1979, Simone Veil became the first became minister of State for social affairs, health and towns dur- Apopularly elected president of the ing the premiership of Édouard Balladur. In 1996 she became a European Parliament and focused her energies on newly selected member of the International Commission for the promoting and continuing the integration of Balkans, directed by Léo Tindemans, which was charged with Europe. She expressed her perpetual hope for the finding ways to reconstruct a region devastated by war. future when she said: "I am placing my hope in In 1998, she was appointed to the Constitutional Council, Europe, in a Europe that has overcome hatred and France's equivalent of the Supreme Court. Her mandate on the barbarism to commit itself to achieving peace and Constitutional Council will end in 2007 (its members are nominat- solidarity between the peoples of Europe." In ed for nine-year terms), but Simone Veil will certainly continue to January 1982, Veil left her presidency position at the lead a very active civic life. She now supervises the Foundation for European Parliament, but continued her involve- the Memory of the Shoah, and she spoke very movingly during the ment in European affairs. She served with the judi- commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of cial service for Parliament, and in 1984, she led a Auschwitz last year. moderate and openly pro-European group. As a popularly elected former deportee and Jewish woman, After spending many years with the European Veil embodies the hope for a successfully united, accepting, and 4 Parliament as a deputy, Veil accepted an invitation to peaceful Europe. l l TOULOUSE TO BE GALILEO HQ Toulouse, in southwestern France, was chosen as the administrative and financial Economic News headquarters of the Galileo European TECHNOLOGIE satellite navigation program, with respon- sibility for business development, market- ing, and system engineering. The decision First Partial Face Transplant is expected to create up to 15,000 direct and indirect jobs for locals. The location in 38-YEAR-OLD French woman from Valenciennes gave permission for the removal of needed facial tissues, mus- Toulouse was chosen for its close proximity received the world's first partial face transplant, per- cles, arteries and blood veins, and the operation was then per- to other aerospace firms, such as Alcatel Alenia Space, Thales, and EADS Astrium. formed on November 27 by a team led by Professor formed quickly and, it seems, successfully. The patient's face did Galileo is similar to America's GPS system Bernard Devauchelle and Professor Jean-Michel not take on the exact aspect of the donor's, but is rather a hybrid but is designed to be even more accurate. ADubernard, who performed the first hand transplant in 1998 as of both her own’s and the donor’s. So that her body does not The system, which will rely on 30 satellites, well as the first double hand and forearm transplant in 2000. reject the tissues, the patient must take immuno-suppressants is expected to be operational in 2010. To The woman was admitted to the hospital in May 2005, after for the time-being and, if need be, for the rest of her life. learn more: www.galileoju.com. losing both her lips, her nose and her chin in a freak attack by Ethical concerns about facial transplant may stand in the her dog. Usually surgeons use skin from a patient's back, but- way of its practice in some countries. In France, the National NEW STATE BOND MARKET tocks or thighs to graft onto a face. But in this case, the injuries Advisory Ethical Committee has voiced a negative opinion Euronext and Agence France Trésor have were "extremely difficult, even impossible to repair using con- regarding full facial transplants, but does not oppose partial announced the creation of a secondary ventional oral-facial surgery techniques," according to a state- facial transplants, provided the patient is fully informed of all market in French government bonds that will be open to individual investors begin- ment from the two hospitals involved. The surgical team felt the risks—both physical and psychological—involved (which ning January 2. The new market, named that grafting a triangular section of skin taken from a donor's was the case here). OAT aux Particuliers, will make it easy for face had a much better chance of success, and had the advan- The patient, who wishes to remain anonymous, is doing individuals to buy and sell government tage of restoring speech and chewing functions. well and is delighted with her new appearance, which she even bonds. Individual investors will be provided The family of the donor, who was in a brain-dead condition, prefers to her old, according to Dubernard. l l with the same security, transparency, liq- uidity and information that are already available to professional investors. The Pierre Auger Observatory, World's Largest, Unveils First Findings new market will give individual investors access to a full range of fixed-rate, infla- HE PIERRE AUGER Observatory, the largest in the The Observatory consists of an array of 1,600 particle tion-indexed and zero-coupon treasury bonds with maturities of 2 to 50 years. To world, is nearing completion and has already produced detectors, which are essentially large tanks filled with ultra- learn more: oatparticuliers.euronext.com. Ttitillating findings. Located in the Argentinean pampas pure, de-ionized water. As high-energy cosmic rays pass at the foot of the Andes Mountains, the Observatory is a col- through these "Cerenkov detectors," their radiation and elec- ANTI-CHOLESTEROL YOGURT TO laborative work of over 370 tromagnetic energy is measured. The detectors are BE COVERED BY INSURANCE scientists from 16 countries, spread throughout an area equal to the size of Rhode Danone has reached an arrangement with including France's National Island. In addition to the Cerenkov detectors, there the French insurance group AGF to reim- Center for Scientific Research are 24 more traditional telescopes that observe ultra- burse customers who purchase Danone's (CNRS), which was one of violet fluorescent light emitted as cosmic rays pass anti-cholesterol nutritional products, since the project's initiators. The through the atmosphere. policy holders who use these products are telescope is intended to High-energy cosmic rays are very rare: on average, less likely to suffer from cardio-vascular dis- eases. Indeed, Danacol, an anti-cholesterol measure high-energy cos- there is only one occurrence per square kilometer per yogurt released last April by Danone, con- mic rays, the source and century. Because of its size, the new facility should be tains sterols, which have been scientifically A particle detector in the middle nature of which continue to able to detect 10 per year, more than all current installa- proven to reduce cholesterol levels by of the Argentinean pampas mystify scientists. Under- tions have detected in the past four decades. Scientists more than 10 percent after three standing their origin may provide insights into the very struc- hope to begin construction of a second observatory, this time in weeks. This announcement ture of the universe. the northern hemisphere, probably in southeastern Colorado, as comes immediately after Unilever, Though it is not yet complete (the finishing touches are slat- soon as funding can be secured. an Anglo-Dutch consumer prod- ed for late 2006), its preliminary results have already ruled out cer- The Observatory is named in honor of French physicist Pierre ucts group, introduced a similar tain hypotheses. The rays do not seem to originate from the cen- Auger (1899-1993), who in 1938 became the first person to agreement with the French insur- ter of the galaxy, nor are they vestiges of the Big Bang. Instead, they observe the air showers created by high-energy cosmic rays pass- ance company Maaf. are almost certainly the product of one of several possible "exot- ing through Earth's atmosphere. FORTY YEARS IN SPACE ic" cosmological events. Learn more at www.auger.org. l l

La Poste to Become Bank

N NOVEMBER 30, the Committee of as BNP Paribas or Credit Agricole, thereby taking Credit Establishments and Investment advantage of its vast network throughout the coun- OCompanies (CECEI) approved the French try. But before doing so, it had to prove to French Post Office's application to provide a full range of authorities that it would not present unfair competi- banking services. The Post Office already offers its tion to major private-sector banks, of which there are customers certain financial services, and it will now be nine in France. La Poste, which handles 2.5 billion France just celebrated its 40 years as a space allowed to provide them with an entire banking port- euros worth of funds, already has more clients (28 power! On November 26, 1965, France launched folio. The new bank will open its doors in March, million) and more agencies (17,000) than its rivals, the spaceship Diamant A (pictured), which pending the European Commission's approval. making it a formidable competitor, but it will be released a satellite named Astérix into orbit. This stunning accomplishment made France the third More than 10 years ago, the public postal service closely watched by regulatory authorities to ensure country after the Soviet Union and the United conceptualized the vision of a large-scale bank that that the playing field remains level. For more infor- States to enter the "race to conquer space." would be able to distribute credit in the same manner mation, visit www.laposte.fr. l l 5 RECORD FUND-RAISING Social News FOR TELETHON 2005 SOCIÉTÉ The France-2 Telethon, held every year to raise money and awareness for research on myopathy, a neuromuscu- Celebrating 100 Years of Secularism lar disorder that affects thousands of people each year, earned a record of ECEMBER 9, 2005, marked the 100th anniver- subsidize, or finance any cult. The law was the source of over 99 million euros in donations dur- sary of France's Law of 1905 separating church and much public debate during the first 20 years of its exis- ing the live show broadcast continu- state. The idea of secularism was born in the midst tence. Today, support for secularism runs high and the ously on December 2 and 3. This is the of the French Revolution of 1789, as tensions rose concept has become a central tradition within French most money that has ever been raised Dbetween the monarchy-supported Catholic Church and revo- society. For President Jacques Chirac, the Law of 1905 is an during the live show, and donations lutionary intellectuals. In the 1880s, the French government important "pillar" of liberty. during the week after the Telethon last gradually moved toward a more complete secularism within This October, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy created a year helped organizers raise 99,044,125 euros this year. For more the state, and laws concerning both public schools and associ- commission to consider amending the law, in an effort to information, visit www.telethon.fr. ations were enacted. Prior to this time, the priests of the address the scarcity of Muslim mosques in France. Such a Church had a key role in the educational system. change would not be the first: since it was established in 1905, FREE DENTAL EXAMS Thoughts concerning secularism eventually crystallized the law has been modified 10 times. FOR CHILDREN ANDELDERLY into the Law of 1905, which guarantees the free exercise of reli- For more information, see our in-depth article in NFF Starting in 2006, French children gion while stating that the government may not recognize, 04.10, or visit www.1905-2005.fr. l l between the ages of 6 and 12 will be eligible for a free dental exam. Over a MISS FRANCE 2006 CROWNED million children are expected to take Miss France 2006 will be 19-year-old . Miss part in the program, designed to instill Languedoc (a region on France's western Mediterranean coast) was healthy oral hygiene habits in children elected by French television viewers (on channel TF1) voting by phone from an early age. By age 4, 17 per- and by a panel of celebrity judges, including actor Jean Reno and rock cent of children have at least one cavi- star Johnny Hallyday. Sophie Ducasse from the Paris region and Laetitia ty (50 percent in Paris). The newly Fasquel from Albigeois, in the southwest, finished second and third, expanded free dental coverage will respectively. Notably, the 2006 competition was the first Miss France also apply to pregnant women (eligible competition to contain a bikini round. Rosenfeld is in her second year of for a check-up between their fourth college and is studying tourism in the hopes of opening her own travel month of pregnancy and six months agency. She lists her discipline and comfort with competition as her after their child's birth) and adults greatest strengths (she is a long-time track athlete); her greatest short- between 60 and 65 years of age. coming is a lack of confidence. Outgoing Miss France, Cindy Fabre (see FRANCE LEADS EUROPE NFF 04.14), was on hand to present her successor with the crown. IN INTERNET USE The French surf the Web an average of 13 hours per week, the highest French Students Mix Work and Studies rate in Europe. Spain and the UK RECENT POLL by CSA shows that nearly two- mance." In fact, a survey found that working students do as were close behind, with an 11-hour- thirds (65 percent) of French university students have well as, if not better than, their counterparts on exams, with per-week average. The European already had a paid job at some point in their lives, an 85 percent success rate in 2004. This may be due to the fact Interactive Advertising Association A while one out of two students works during the school year. that only three out of ten students who work say that their job survey showed that Internet use in Europe has risen 17 percent since This covers a wide range of employment situations, from baby- prevented them from attending classes. 2004 and 56 percent since 2003. sitting and performing other small jobs to working full-time. For students whose work gets in the way of their studies, the Among Internet users, there is a sub- According to Unef, a student union, "In general, paid University of Paris XIII (Villetaneuse) has a program that group of "power users" activity does not have an adverse impact on exam perfor- allows students to extend a one-year course over two years, making it easier to reconcile the two. who spend a very consid- MEN PREFER BRUNETTES… erable amount of time WOMEN JUST DON'T KNOW IT Students taking part in the program are plugged in (24 percent of also entitled to take special tests which the population spends 16 It's official. Men have expressed their hair- are graded separately from the others. color preference when it comes to hours or more online each This November, a dozen businesses and week). The Internet follows women, and the winners are… the 13 universities of Paris signed a char- only television as brunettes! A survey taken in France Europeans' preferred asked men what hair color they pre- ter at the mayor's office in Paris, which source of news. ferred: 56 percent (and a whopping 60 declares that employers will provide percent of men under 35) preferred exemplary working conditions while the BUT HOW DOES brunettes. However, when women were schools will develop support mecha- IT TASTE? asked what hair color they thought men nisms and alternatives for students who Four French butchers from preferred, a substantial 58 percent work, including night classes, online Salbris have fashioned the believed that it was blond. classes, and excused absences. l l largest pork roast in the world: 935 feet long (equal to about three football fields) Cheers for Cheaper Houses! and 4,735 pounds. They used the meat of 150 pigs, giving HE MINISTER of social cohesion and housing, Jean- France. "It's true, today, there are no housing agencies that offer new meaning to the expres- Louis Borloo, signed a charter launching "100,000-euro houses at 100,000 euros," declared Yves Jégo, a deputy Mayor of sion "pigging out!" A repre- houses" ($120,000)on December 8. Despite their low Montereau. Now, for the equivalent of the rent on low-income sentative from Guinness T price (made possible through tax cuts, preferential financing, housing (500 euros a month), families will be able to achieve the World Records was on hand and economies of scale), "the houses must be of fine quality dream of homeownership over a 15-year period. Between 50 to witness this achievement. (…). We will be intractable on that point," said the minister. The and 100 communities are already in contact with the Ministry of The butchers had been the charter was ratified by various parties, including constructors, Housing to participate in the program, and the government original record holders before 6 being outdone in 2004. notaries, promoters, and the Association of the Mayors of expects 7,000 to 10,000 of the houses will be built a year. l l les coups d’oeil Cultural Highlights CULTURE "CACHÉ" NAMED BEST FILM AT EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS Contemporary Iraqi Art on Exhibit in Paris ARIS WILL HOLD the first exhibition to show con- desire to prove to those abroad that, beyond the images conveyed temporary Iraqi works in Paris since the modern art by the media, there is a nation of people whose hearts beat and museum of Baghdad was ransacked in 2003. whose souls survive despite all the chaos. There is, in Iraq, a world Mohammed Zenad, director of of beauty that has been captured by its tPhe Al-Athar Art Gallery in Baghdad, artists. Once Zenad received support from Michael Haneke's film Caché ("Hidden") wanted to show that "art and beauty have corporate sponsor Bernard Krief Capital, grabbed the major awards at the 18th always been alive in Iraq," and that "[its he was able to fulfill his dream and bring Annual European Film Awards in Berlin, art] shows the ancient man of Sumer his message of hope and optimism to Germany, on December 3. As well as winning for best film, the thriller's lead bending under modern misfortune." France. actor, Daniel Auteuil (pictured), won for Zenad chose Paris as he was inspired by Zenad had to take the "road of death" best actor, and Michael Haneke was pioneers such as De Shakir Hassan and between Amman and Baghdad, where he given the best director award. Caché also Jawad Salim, who studied at l'Ecole des was detained at a checkpoint and, despite received the European Critics' Award. Beaux-Arts. Almost 800 pieces by 42 Iraqi having the necessary paperwork, was The film deals with France's memories of artists are included in the exhibit, with at forced to give up the art pieces for a week. the colonial war in Algeria. For more least two works per artist. Today, he has miraculously succeeded in information, visit www.cache-lefilm.com. Zenad has been gathering works from bringing this Iraqi art to Paris. Iraqi artists since the age of 17, braving Mahmoud Obaidi, La guerre, 2004, DR. The exhibition will run through "CRAZY HORSE" MAKES danger and destruction to do so. The pieces he collected have January 15 at the Musée du Montparnasse. For more informa- ITS DEBUT IN SINGAPORE After months of anticipation, the famous traveled from Jordan to Tunisia and beyond. He is driven by the tion, please visit www.museedumontparnasse.net. l l Crazy Horse Paris cabaret finally made its first Asian debut in Singapore. The renowned French cabaret, which first tit- illated Paris in 1951 with its famous "Art Renovated Petit Palais Reopens to Public of the Nude" shows, impressed a room of 450 people on December 5. Fifteen HE PETIT PALAIS has just emerged from four years of given carte blanche to do the same with the walls of the Petit scantily clad women worked their magic renovations; it has undergone a true metamorphosis, and Palais. Giles Chazal of the Petit Palais remarks, "the walls of our for over an hour at a former warehouse is now the architectural jewel it was meant to be in the galleries have begun to float into the clouds, and the ladies of turned theater. The Singapore Tourism T board hopes the new cabaret show, a very prestigious Champs- the banks of the Seine to talk, discuss, argue, laugh, cry, sing." permanent addition to the city's Elysées neighborhood. It The museum has also unveiled a "Women of Paris" exhibit that nightlife, will draw more tourists to the was created for the can be viewed until February 12. It features works by Renoir, Asian city-state. Universal Exposition of Degas and Cassatt, along with lesser-known 19th- and 20th- 1900 to house a city muse- century paintings from the Petit Palais's reserve collection. CROSSWORD CORNUCOPIA: um which opened its Among its permanent collection, largely bequeathed by RECORD FRENCH PUZZLE doors in 1902. Auguste Dutuit, visitors can find ancient artifacts, medieval If you are one of the few who pride To mark its reopen- objects, rare manuscripts and books, and Dutch paintings themselves on completing the New York ing, Artist Quentin Blake, from the 17th century. The collection includes Poussin's The Times crossword every Sunday, French who made headlines in Massacre of the Innocents, Ruben's Prosperpina, and shopkeeper Alain Brunet (pictured) has 2001 when he drew on Rembrandt's Self-Portrait with Poodle. the walls of London's Like all City of Paris museums, the Petit Palais now has no National Gallery, has been admission charge. To learn more, visit petitpalais.paris.fr.l l

Reconstructing La Fayette's Frigate in Rochefort

N 1780, LA FAYETTE set off to defend freedom in ments. As La Fayette rejoined battle alongside Washington, a new challenge for you. He America. Today, his splendid frigate, the 213-foot-long the Hermione itself fought for the next 18 months, until the has created a puzzle that puts Hermione, is being rebuilt exactly as it once was. The recon- final victories in Chesapeake Bay and Yorktown. all others to shame—it mea- I sures 2 square meters and is struction is taking place in the town of This epic adventure has become legendary on both composed of 18,261 words. Rochefort, located in the west of France. sides of the Atlantic, and the idea of bringing it back to life The definitions alone take up In January 1779, the Marquis de La by rebuilding the Hermione immediately sparked the inter- 158 pages! And if the cross- Fayette, a 21-year-old French aristo- est of the general public. Some 30 carpenters, shipwrights word's size fails to impress, this crat, came back from America where and blacksmiths are currently at work in the Hermione’s Scrabble enthusiast has made he had fought as a volunteer alongside dockyard, which is open to the public. They are progress- the words as difficult as possible the patriots seeking independence ing quickly, and the ship should be ready to set sail in 2007. (there are few feminine plural from Great Britain. He was able to con- Indeed, the Hermione will be put to sea for her maiden nouns and conjugated verbs vince the King of France to provide voyage, with some 40 people onboard, to retrace La that provide easy clues). Brunet military and financial assistance to General George Fayette's journey to Boston, New York and the Chesapeake Bay, hopes to eventually post the Washington. On March 21, 1780, La Fayette arrived in the site of the legendary naval battle that marked the end of the massive puzzle online and initi- ate a championship, giving Rochefort and boarded a brand-new frigate, the Hermione. American War of Independence. The frigate will then return to amateur crossword fans six After a 38-day crossing, he joined General Washington to Rochefort, where it will become part of the city's heritage sites. months to complete the mam- inform him of the imminent arrival of French reinforce- For more information, visit www.hermione.com. l l moth assignment. 7 in brief France in America CHEZ NOUS HAPPYHOLIDAYS!! The News from France team will be taking a short break this winter, as Gauguin and Impressionism in Texas our writers have volunteered to help HE KIMBELL MUSEUM in Fort Worth, Texas, will be known for his avant-garde work in the South Seas, his earlier works Santa’s elves in their toy factories. hosting the first U.S. exhibition that highlights Gauguin were also formidable and greatly impacted Impressionist art. We wish you all an excellent holiday (1848-1903) as an Impressionist painter, before he became Over 50 paintings and 15 sculptures and ceramics, on loan from season and a happy new year, and one of the leading luminaries museums and private collections from all hope you’ll accompany us as we Tof French postimpressionism. The around the world, form the seminal exhib- continue to cover French news and exhibit takes the audience on a tour of it. They include a significant group of trends during the upcoming year! Gauguin's extensive Impressionist works from the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in We’ll be publishing our next issue on work, from 1875 to 1887. Copenhagen, among them the most February 8. Though Gauguin was introduced to impressive and fascinating of Gauguin's Impressionist art by his first and only early works, the Nude Study (Woman teacher, Camille Pissarro (known for his Sewing) of 1880. The Kimbell Museum from News FRANCE depictions of rural scenes), he was mostly will also be displaying Gauguin's Nave inspired by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot Nave Mahana (Delightful Day) of 1896, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (whose Italian landscapes are world- the most important Gauguin in a French Nathalie Loiseau renowned). It was in 1879 that Gauguin public collection (that of the Musée des EDITOR began to develop a truly Impressionist Beaux Arts in Lyon). Vase of Peonies I, Paul Gauguin (1884) Emmanuel Gagniarre technique, using brushstrokes applied The exhibit will run through March 26, with visible speed and spontaneity to record scenes from modern life and the Kimbell Art Museum will be its only American venue. For MANAGING EDITOR Amaury Laporte and passing effects of light and weather. Though Gauguin is better more information, please visit: www.kimbellart.org. l l

SENIOR WRITERS Kelli Long, Anisha Patel WHY STYLE, French Contemporary Art in New York WRITERS Elizabeth Elfman, Daniel Guarnera, RENCH ARTIST Bruno Peinado is featuring some of his "WHY STYLE" is a turn of phrase that suggests the balance Julianne Hunkins, Kristine Lengerich, work in a New York exhibition, "WHY STYLE," in what is his struck between the media and fashion worlds' method of appropri- Adrien Tomarchio, Diana Veiga Ffirst major solo show in ation and the reversal of such gestures. The exhib- To change your address, subscribe (for the United States. Hosted by the it engenders a visual assault that features many free) or unsubscribe, please contact: Swiss Institute-Contemporary references that are inverted and turned inside out, NEWS FROM FRANCE Art, the French artist has recent- such as a 6 becoming a 9, or popular logos caught FRENCH EMBASSY PRESS & INFORMATION SERVICE ly garnered fame international- in Native American dream catchers, blacked-out 4101 Reservoir Road, NW ly in the art world. American flags, white musicians in black face per- Washington, DC 20007-2182 The title refers to the classic formance, and Malcolm Mclaren's elevation of Tel: (202) 944-6060 Fax: (202) 944-6072 hip-hop film, Wild Style (1982) trash-punk with the New York Dolls. The bor- E-mail: by Charlie Ahearn, which rowing and quotations create an abundance of [email protected] depicts the beginnings of the well-known signs and symbols caught in a circle, http://www.ambafrance-us.org hip hop scene in South Bronx. Untitled 2005 by Bruno Peinado somewhere between the iconic black cube mono- http://www.france.diplomatie.fr Wild Style shows a generation of DJs, rappers, and graffiti artists who liths of minimalism and South Bronx Graffiti. create innovative works while making compromises between the WHY STYLE will be on view through January 7 at the Swiss integrity of their art and its misuse and co-opting by the media. Institute in New York. To learn more, visit www.swissinstitute.net. l l

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