PARIS BRIEFING February 2005

News this month

Relentless

The indefatigable Nicolas Sarkozy is again fanning his rivalry with President Jacques Chirac. Their first row was about Turkey's proposed membership of the European Union; they also fought over nomination procedures for the 2007 presidential race. Mr Sarkozy, who is the new head of the ruling party, the right-wing Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), which Mr Chirac founded, retreated on the first issue by dropping plans to present a resolution opposing Turkey's entry to the EU.

But what he gave with one hand, he took with the other. He incensed Mr Chirac's loyalists by suggesting that party members, rather than party procedure or apparatchiks, will choose the candidate for the 2007 race. That could stop Mr Chirac from a third run at president, since polls show that Mr Sarkozy would get 25% in the UMP's first round, while Mr Chirac would get just 19%. Despite provoking ire within his party, Mr Sarkozy remains buoyant and seems intent on staying in the public eye. He celebrated his 50th birthday last month with a quick tour of northern France. In February, he plans to visit Ukraine and Poland, followed by Morocco and Israel in March.

More hostages

Just two weeks after two French journalists were released by their captors in Iraq, Florence Aubenas, a correspondent for Libération, went missing on January 5th. She was last seen leaving her Baghdad hotel with Hussein Hanoun al-Saadi, her interpreter. The interim Iraqi government has suggested that the kidnappers are not trying to make a political statement; rather, they merely want a ransom. But no further details have emerged. Giant photos of the two can now be seen in the Place de la République in the centre of Paris. Jacques Chirac has since warned French journalists against going to Iraq, since their safety can not be guaranteed.

Embarrassing dad

Marine Le Pen, the MEP and vice-president of her father's far-right National Front, withdrew from the party's policy-making council on January 26th to take in some sea air at La Trinité-sur-Mer in Brittany. She apparently was furious at her father, Jean-Marie, who had provoked controversy once again. As the nation commemorated the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, Mr Le Pen commented that the German occupation of France “had not been particularly inhumane”.

It is against French law to deny the crimes against humanity during the second world war. But it is unclear whether his comments (made to the far-right newspaper Rivarol) will lead to prosecution. A preliminary inquiry has been opened. Regardless, this is not the first time Marine has clashed with her father. In October 2004, Marine publicly expressed her “sincere and unambiguous disapproval” of remarks made by party's number-two, Bruno Gollnisch, who questioned whether gas chambers were ever used by Nazis. At the time her father insisted that she back Mr Gollnisch.

Still interesting

François Mitterrand left office ten years ago and died a year later on January 8th 1996. But France's former president remains topical. This February, with the release of Robert Guédiguian's film “Promeneur du Champs-de-Mars”, and his daughter's book, “Bouche Cousue” (“Mouth Sewn Up”), Mitterand's private life is undergoing public scrutiny.

He has also received plenty of unflattering press about the so-called Elysée phone-tapping trial. Carole Bouquet, an actress, recently testified in court about her phones being tapped in 1985, so that Mitterrand could keep track of her then-husband, Jean-Pierre Rassam. Christian Prouteau, the former-head of the Elysée's phone-bugging unit, said the investigation was to establish “the problem [Rassam] had with the Libyans”. Despite an absence of incriminating evidence, the tapping continued after her husband had died, Ms Bouquet said. Meanwhile, Le Monde's coverage of the anniversary of Mitterrand's death reminded readers that he features in Dan Brown's “Da Vinci Code”: “The Louvre pyramid was made with 666 panes of glass on François Mitterrand's request. The figure is traditionally associated with Satan.”

A big gamble

On January 18th, there was fanfare in Toulouse for the unveiling of the A380, the world's largest passenger plane, made by the European company Airbus. It will fly commercially by next year. Jacques Chirac, France's president, together with Gerhard Schröder, Germany's chancellor, and Tony Blair, Britain's prime minister, hailed the super-jumbo as a “European success”.

But the celebrations were short-lived. The announcement that five A380s were sold to China Southern Airlines was eclipsed by news that Boeing had sold 60 of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft (which will fly commercially in 2008) to six Chinese airlines. France's Transport Minister, Gilles de Robien, hailed Airbus's deal with China a “political victory”, unaware that Boeing was, as he spoke, stealing his thunder. The two companies are in stiff competition to define the future of the industry. Backers of the A380 argue that it will cut the cost of carrying one passenger one mile by between 15% and 20%, compared with the 747, the “queen of the skies”. Boeing is betting that the speedier 787 will cash in on greater point-to-point traffic.

Mystery solved

Six French starlets were in the running for a starring role in a film adapted from “The Da Vinci Code”, Dan Brown's best-selling novel. But Audrey Tatou, best-known for her star-turn in “Amelie”, beat out such rivals as Sophie Marceau, Virginie Ledoyen and Linda Hardy, a former Miss France. Ms Tatou will play opposite Tom Hanks in a production that is expected to cost around $100m. It is about a young code-breaker (Ms Tatou) whose grandfather is murdered in the Louvre. She joins with Professor Robert Langdon (Mr Hanks) to solve several mysteries. The film will be released in May 2006.

The book's international success—over 17m copies sold, 1.3m in France—has boosted tourism at sites that feature in the novel, such as the Louvre and Saint Sulpice church. Eurostar has even praised the traffic-inducing “Da Vinci Code Effect”.

Catch if you can

February 2005

Giacometti & Cartier-Bresson: A Shared Way of Seeing

Until March 26th 2005

Alberto Giacometti, a Swiss-Italian sculptor, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, a French photographer, were friends. It turns out that they also shared a passion for Cézanne, van Eyck and Uccello, and a common view of the world. They both worked to capture the essence of the moment. This show juxtaposes their work; an obvious highlight is the pairing of Cartier-Bresson's photographs of Stravinksy, Sartre, Matisse and Diego Giacometti, alongside Giacometti sketches of the same people. “The great adventure is seeing something new each day in the same face”, Giacometti once said. In turn, Cartier-Bresson saw his own work as the desire to capture the “inner silence of willing victims”.

This central theme is further reinforced by a Giacometti sculpture from 1949, “Man walking across a square”, set alongside Cartier-Bresson shots from around the world, including “Man jumping behind the Gare St Lazare”. The show will move to the Kunsthaus Zürich from May 13th to August 7th.

Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, 2 Impasse Lebouis, 14th arrondissment. Tel: + 33 (1) 56 80 27 00. Métro: Gaité. Open: Wed-Sun 1pm-6.30pm, Sat 11am-6.45pm (Wed until 8.30pm). Entry: €4. For more information, visit the museum's website.