Overprotected senior officials
Albert Couzan, Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine)
Rather than attacking ordinary civil servants who, by their large number, represent an insurmountable power of nuisance, the government would do better to concentrate on administrative directors, who constitute a small population. Is it normal for these leaders to enjoy the same protections as the executives? There are numerous examples of these senior civil servants, often very well paid, who fail without ever being sanctioned. Appointments to these positions should therefore be conditional on renunciation of the status and accompanied by clear and negotiated objectives. With leaders thus empowered, we would be more likely to have an effective administration. This reform probably did not encounter opposition from the unions, but it is doubtful whether it would be supported by politicians, most of whom come from the senior civil service. (Public deficit: why France is making less effort than othersL’Express of April 11.)
France, red lantern
Claire Rodriguez, Poitiers (Vienna)
Growing deindustrialization, trade deficit and skyrocketing public debt: “France is the red lantern of the world economy”, as economist Marc Touati says. Our country’s rating will undoubtedly be downgraded soon, and it is even curious that it has not already been. France is a seriously ill society, which our European neighbors are observing with growing concern. (On the public debt, the State has inspired confidence since the Revolution… but for how long?L’Express of April 11.)
Haiti: so far and so forgotten
Patrick Russo, (Haiti)
Regarding your UN front page, I was surprised to see how the case of Haiti was omitted. This island has been facing all kinds of problems in recent years, with some officials recognizing gangs as part of the country’s social class. It is a bitter failure of the UN which refuses to resolve it, only emphasizing that the country is suffering from a food crisis rather than a security crisis. When will it be able to manage this crisis adequately? (What is the UN still used for?, L’Express, April 11.)
Israel in self-defense
Damien Desserre, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (Indre-et-Loire)
What is currently happening in the Gaza Strip is dramatic, but let us not forget that it is Hamas which is solely responsible for this situation. He was the one who launched a terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, brutally killing more than 1,200 people of all ages and taking others hostage. Following this unprecedented pogrom since the Holocaust, the Jewish state responded legitimately and massively. How can we blame him? Was the United States denied the right and duty to defend itself after the attacks of September 11, 2001? (Netanyahu at a time of choiceL’Express of April 18.)
Drugs: communication operation
René Andron, Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône)
You only need to travel to France to realize that drug trafficking has spread to even the smallest towns. In the absence of a real policy, we carry out one-off repressive actions all to the glory of the minister without resolving anything on the fund. Certainly, this temporarily affects the “business” somewhat, nothing more. For those who suffer in the neighborhoods, this changes nothing, and many have stopped believing in the protective Republic for a long time. For this subject as for others, communication and patch policy are finding it more and more difficult to mask the incompetence of our leaders whose gesticulations come up against the indifference of the population struggling with the difficulties of daily life. . (“ These neighborhoods governed by drug dealers », L’Express of April 4.)
Take part in critical thinking meetings
“Received ideas about feminist struggles”; “Was misinformation better before?” ; “Can we scientifically investigate UFOs?” ; “Can the ecological transition do without AI?”… These are some of the themes that will be addressed during the 2024 edition of the Meetings of critical thinking which are held in Labège, near Toulouse, on April 27 and 28, in partnership with L’Express. An event created by Willy Lafran, an entrepreneur convinced that systematic doubt ultimately benefits conspiracy theorists. He prefers to “analyze calmly, methodically; verify information based on solid sources and distinguish facts from interpretations.” A welcome call for rationality in a society lacking guidance.