PARIS BRIEFING May 2005

News this month

Probably not

What was supposed to be a rubber-stamp formality has turned into the political contest of the year. The European Union constitution could be ripped up if the French reject it in a referendum on May 29th. Polls taken over the past few months put French opposition at 51-58%, though about 25% of voters remain undecided. Jacques Chirac, France's president, has insisted that approving the constitution will not necessarily weaken France. He has drafted Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, to help, though the government is preparing for the worst.

A “no” vote would probably lead to a government reshuffle, and the replacement of Jean-Pierre Raffarin, the prime minister. His approval rating has plummeted from 64% in 2002 to 27% today. Dominique de Villepin, the foreign minister, has all but declared his interest in Mr Raffarin's job, though many worry that he has never held elected office. And the change may not satisfy the French public, since almost the entire political elite—including, presumably, Mr Raffarin's successor—supports the constitution. Whatever happens, after May 29th all eyes will turn toward the Netherlands, where a referendum will be held on June 1st.

Left: behind

Debate over the EU constitution is particularly intense among Socialist Party (PS) members, despite their 58-42% “Oui” vote on December 1st. The party splits into two camps: François Hollande, the party's leader, heads the supporters; Laurent Fabius, a former prime minister, leads the opponents. Whoever emerges on top will probably become the PS's presidential candidate in 2007.

Mr Fabius's camp was surely none too happy when Lionel Jospin, a former PS leader and prime minister, appeared on television before 5.3m viewers on April 28th to argue that voting against the constitution “would punish France and Europe but not the government”. Claude Bartolone, Mr Fabius's right-hand man, told the press that Mr Jospin had not learned the lessons of April 2002, when the Socialists finished behind the far-right National Front in the first round of the presidential vote.

Still off

“Les Français ne veulent pas travailler!” blared the headline of Le Parisien, the main city paper, on April 22nd. It translates as “The French don't want to work”; besides stating the obvious, this refers to rising national discontent over the government's plans to scrap the Pentecost holiday, which this year falls on May 16th. By forcing employees to go to work and skimming off a sliver of all revenues for the day, the government expects to raise about €2 billion ($2.59 billion) for a National Solidarity Fund for the handicapped and elderly. This money would then go towards preventing a disaster like the August 2003 heatwave that killed 15,000 people.

But a survey shows that two-thirds of French people would rather keep the holiday. Unions said that while the goal is admirable, they oppose the government's plan to in effect turn the day into an unsalaried workday. Demonstrations and strikes are now planned for the day itself. SNCF, the state railway company, bowed to union pressure and will retain the holiday, though they have come up with a creative compromise that adds an extra one minute and 52 seconds each day for the solidarity fund.

Will he or won't he?

Jacques Chirac was elected president on May 7th 1995, and after ten years in the Elysée Palace and 40 in politics, there is speculation about whether he might decline to seek a third term in 2007. Factors supporting retirement include the bruising fight over the May 29th referendum, his age (he would be 79 at the end of a third term) and the zeal of his main rival, Nicolas Sarkozy, who heads the UMP party. His opponents are all but pounding the coffin-nails. Mr Hollande said that Mr Chirac “had made the gap between words and actions wider than ever”, while Arnaud Montebourg, a Socialist MP, said Mr Chirac's presidential career comprised a decade of “mediocrity and impunity”. Mr Chirac himself has kept mum, while his wife Bernadette has said, “Those who talk don't know; those who know don't talk”.

Supersize me

The maiden voyage of the Airbus A380 Super Jumbo, a European-built passenger plane that holds 853 passengers, went off without a hitch on April 27th. The 73-metre long, 276-tonne plane highlights a developmental gamble: Europe has built the SUV of the skies, while Boeing, Airbus's American rival, is opting for a slimmer, more ecologically friendly model called the Streamliner.

Boeing believes the future of air travel is with small planes flying to more airports; the A380 will only be able to land at a handful of major airports with sizable runways. Still, 144 of the jumbos have already been ordered, and several airports around the world are planning to expand their runways accordingly.

Catch if you can

May 2005

Brazil-Indian: The Art of Brazil's Amerindians

Until June 25th 2005

“The exhibition is very beautiful”, wrote one visitor in the guest book, “but isn't the Indian reduced to an object?” The next entry reads: “There is great respect for the Indians.” Both are right when it comes to this exhibition. Art is an integral part of life for some 500,000 natives in Brazil, and the artefacts displayed here are stunning. Highlights include Jurupixana bark masks, Munduruku mummified heads and a trumpet decorated with blue and red feathers. But with no map and too little context, the whole show feels a bit like an invitation to gawp. The curators try to rectify this with a brief section about Claude Lévi-Strauss, a renowned French anthropologist, including some items from his collection.

Grand Palais, 3 avenue du Général-Eisenhower, 8th arrondissement. Métro: Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau. Tel: +33 (0)1-44.13.17.17. Open: Wed-Mon, 10am-8pm (Weds to 10pm). Entry: €9 before 1pm, €10.3 thereafter. For more information, visit the museum's website.

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