The French papers are full of reports this morning about Sarkozy’s planned national loan. Le Parisien reports that Alain Juppé, a former Prime Minister under Chirac, and Michel Rocard a former Socialist Prime Minister under François Mitterand are both to head up a Commission charged with administering the loan. This comes shortly after Sarkozy’s cabinet reshuffle where he appointed Frédéric Mitterand, the nephew of François Mitterand as Culture Minister.

The announcement of a national loan was a big public relations coup for Sarkozy during his first ever speech to Congress at Versailles two weeks ago. The loan is intended to provide money for green initiatives and cash strapped businesses as well as for other as yet unspecified purposes. Sarkozy has now combined this PR coup with another famous slogan of his Presidency, “ouverture vers la gauche” - poaching prominent opposition figures for his own government.

The debate surrounding the latest version of a bill intending to introduce work on Sunday will get started today in the National Assembly. It is a highly divisive issue.
A poll in Libération says that 55% of French people are against Sunday work. If it does get passed it will only apply in the biggest cities as well as in tourist zones and it will be on a voluntary basis.

The Communist newspaper l’Humanité leads with the headline, “Sunday, the stolen day.”

La Croix in its editorial says there’s a secular and religious alliance against this bill – for once. French social values defend worker’s rights, the right to a fixed day of rest. It says the bill has been modified and watered down so many times that it should have been abandoned but Sarkozy is insisting on pushing through some degree of reform.

The cover of France Soir features Michael Jackson and the word “Adieu”. The City of Angels today pays its final homage to the King of Pop, it says. As we’ve seen Michael Jackson will be buried at 8am local time in a cemetery in LA. Just close friends and family will attend and then, two hours later, the city has organised a public ceremony at the LA Lakers stadium. 17,500 free tickets were made available online with 1.6 million people applying and indeed authorities are expecting over a million to turn out on the streets of LA.

The American media has lost the plot in the run up to the funeral according to France Soir. OK Magazine published a photo of Michael Jackson laid out on a stretcher just moments before his transfer to hospital - an editorial choice which has been widely criticised for hurting fans, and for being the lowest form of voyeurism.

Elsewhere, a video has also been circulating online purporting to show Michael Jackson’s ghost roaming through the rooms of his Neverland Ranch. Larry King dealt with it on CNN calling it a fake. France Soir says the rumour mill has certainly gone into overdrive.

Le Parisien features a cartoon with two astronauts on the moon – perhaps the only two people who won’t be able to see the goodbye ceremony given the saturation coverage here on earth! “We’re going to miss the Michael Jackson goodbye concert!” says one. Of course a moonwalk joke can’t be far away… “Wait, let’s try one of his dance moves,” replies his colleague.

L’Equipe is dealing with the Tour de France. The Astana team leader Alberto Cantador is now feeling the heat from team mate Lance Armstrong. Yesterday Armstrong took the lead by a considerable margin. He is now 3rd in the Tour de France and might take the yellow jersey this week. This could see him steal the team leadership from Cantador.

Libération carries an article about French “modesty”! Apparently sunbathing nude is not as popular as it used to be in France. 88% of French women have said they don’t favour exposing their bodies.

Some statistics:
59% of French women never appear naked on front of their children
63% don’t like to be naked on front of female friends.
95% don’t mind being naked with their partner.
11% would never dream of sleeping in the nude.

What’s interesting is that this modesty is more perceptible now than in the previous generation. One commentator said that in the 70s, “everyone was naked” and now all that has changed!