The omissions of the “historian” Hollande
Jean-François Capéran, Fouras (Charente-Maritime)
Hollande the historian? He who wants to look into the ups and downs of the left in France should have had the courage to take stock of his own five-year term. According to him, everything is the fault of the attacks of 2015 and the situation in Mali in 2013. How do these events explain the financial situation of France and the rise in unemployment during his term?
As for the portrait of Lucie Castets, full of pleasant anecdotes, we get a general impression of improvisation, solitude, and a lack of real solidarity in the team responsible for implementing and implementing the government program. There is also a lot of amateurism and the fear, for the future of our country, that this team is not up to the economic, political, diplomatic, and environmental challenges that await us. (“The precepts of the historian Hollande”L’Express of September 12.)
Europe’s collapse is not just economic
Michel Cohen, Nantes (Loire-Atlantique)
A report by Mario Draghi states it bluntly: Europe is heading towards the abyss. In addition to the predictable failure of neoliberal policies, the deprivation of cheap Russian gas is accentuating this decline or rather this economic collapse. More generally, the economic fall of Western Europe is nothing compared to its civilizational collapse: countless attacks on freedom of expression; new obscurantist ideologies; denials of justice and a lawless state; the triumph of Islamism, anti-Semitism and reverse racism with the consequence of countless barbaric crimes against Jews and non-Jews; victories of the far-right Islamofascist parties (notably in France). Western Europe has not only lost its economic power, but also its cultural genius and its soul. (“Draghi Report: “The very survival of our social model is at stake”“”, on Lexpress.fr)
Let’s restore the authority of teachers
Tony Calvo, Nice (Alpes-Maritimes)
The first step in restoring teacher authority is to remove parents from the educational sphere. From the moment they were considered partners, they took the liberty of criticizing teachers, thus undermining their authority. For example, let’s reinstate detention outside of regular hours. Isn’t it said that fear of the police is the beginning of wisdom? (“Franck Ramus: “National assessments are an opportunity for students“”, L’Express of September 5.)
Abbé Pierre and the poor
Pierre Plawner, Nogent-sur-Vernisson (Loiret)
There is no smoke without fire, and Abbé Pierre has not always displayed irreproachable conduct. The people who may have been offended or attacked by Abbé Pierre deserve consideration. What happened to them is very serious and appalling. But please, put into the balance the actions of Abbé Pierre towards millions of people in difficulty, even misery. (“Abbé Pierre: a silence fueled by his iconic status?“, on Lexpress.fr)
What weapons to supply to Ukraine?
Patrice Micolon, Viroflay (Yvelines)
I wonder about the limits… of the limitations on the use of weapons. We start by prohibiting the sale of weapons to certain countries; then we prohibit those to whom we sell them from targeting certain countries; then, as today, we prohibit them from targeting certain objectives of countries with which they are in conflict… The result is that a country A that sells weapons to B, which is at war with C, ends up finding itself at war with C. So, gentlemen arms dealers, don’t sell just anything to just anyone!
(“Nuclear weapons: the race is on again“, L’Express of September 5.)
Portraits from the Middle East: our podcast series
Since the attack of October 7, 2023, the Middle East has been the scene of a major geopolitical confrontation, involving several personalities: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of course. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Iran, or Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Lebanese Hezbollah. But others before them have already changed the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their names? Golda Meir, Anwar Sadat, Yasser Arafat, Hafez Assad… La Loupe, the podcast of L’Express, draws their portraits this week through a series of four episodes. In the company of our columnist, geopolitician Frédéric Encel, and Corentin Pennarguear, senior reporter in the world service, discover how their trajectories allow us to understand what is happening today.