When will there be a European surge?
Bruno Lonchampt, Dole (Jura)
The United States, Russia and China have policies of empire. The United States wants to dominate its sphere of influence, by controlling Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal. Russia is targeting Ukraine and some former people’s democracies. China is swallowing up Tibet and digesting it to the point of making it disappear. The European Union looks like a poor innocent girl who is discovering life. It is completely under American influence, including on cultural and societal levels. Having no political existence, it is nevertheless a great power, but without knowing it – like Monsieur Jourdain wrote prose. Without European resurgence, we will have no future. (“Canada, Greenland, Panama: when Donald Trump thinks like Vladimir Putin”on Lexpress.fr)
The good Valls surprise
Tanguy Lechat, Joué-lès-Tours (Indre-et-Loire)
I am delighted with the surprise return of Manuel Valls as Minister of Overseas Territories in the Bayrou government. Because the ex-socialist remains a voice that counts. He is a competent and courageous personality who uncompromisingly defends the values of the Republic. And there is no doubt that his experience will be very useful to him in managing the crises affecting Mayotte, the West Indies and New Caledonia. (“Manuel Valls, autopsy of a revenge“, L’Express of January 9.)
Le Pen is dead, his ideas remain alive
Damien Desserre, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (Indre-et-Loire)
Many times condemned, anti-Semitic, racist and homophobic, the co-founder of the National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen died at the age of 96. His hateful and nauseating ideas, for their part, unfortunately remain very much alive and continue to flourish in new forms, and even under other political arenas. It is therefore relentless, argument against argument, that we must strive to combat them. Because the extreme right is not a solution and its arrival in power is not inevitable. (“The last monster of the Republic”L’Express dated January 9.)
Le Pen and Islamism
Madeleine Gibon, Saumur (Maine-et-Loire)
Eric Mandonnet describes the recently deceased Jean-Marie Le Pen as a “filthy beast”, referring to the former National Front leader’s anti-Semitism. On the other hand, he had been visionary in warning France against the dangers of Islamism imported into Europe. We now know the devastating effects. (“The last monster of the Republic”L’Express of January 9.)
Let’s cut our public spending!
Laurent Neulat, La Motte-Servolex (Savoie)
When will we cut our spending? The administrative mille-feuille is well known: 40% of the Union’s municipalities are in France? Our rate of civil servants is one of the highest on the continent – with low working hours. Our public services are inefficient… There are therefore many ways to save, but we need courage and long-term action. What are our politicians waiting for to take care of the mountain of savings to be made rather than spending their time on shabby political schemes? Perhaps France is waiting for a Javier Milei or an Elon Musk to do the work? (“Debureaucratizing France: chainsaw or pruning shears?, by Denys de Béchillon”L’Express of January 9.)
Paris-province conformism
Dominique Calmels, Millau (Aveyron)
Abnousse Shalmani’s column dedicated to “ready-to-think” delights me. Especially since it is not only in the center of Paris that we witness this conformism shifted from the realities of life. We also find it in the provinces where, according to some, when it is expensive, even if it is “disgusting”, it is necessarily excellent, especially when it is organic or natural. Some have understood this well and are lining their pockets thanks to the class stupidity of others. (“The insipidity of natural wine, a symptom of progressive urban ready-to-think, by Abnousse Shalmani”L’Express of January 9.)
The Cafeyn Awards 2024 Readers’ Prize awarded to L’Express
The editorial staff of L’Express won the Cafeyn awards 2024 readers’ prize for the article “Hermès: betrayal, influence… Investigation into the heir’s “evaporated” billions”, a story by Émilie Lanez, senior reporter at the service “Investigations and stories”, and Béatrice Mathieu, senior reporter in the “economy” department, published in March 2024. This award is added to a series of distinctions which testify to our high standards editorial. Already winner of the 2022 Cafeyn Awards for Best Front Page for “Democracy must conquer” and the 2023 Prize for political article of the year with “Succession à la française”, the rigorous coverage of the news by L’Express is once again praised by the profession.
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