“Will there be electricity for Christmas?”

FRENCH PRESS REVIEW: Libération’s front page speculates on the possibility of a blackout in parts of France in the run-up to Christmas. A cold weather spell has increased demand on energy supplies.

France’s energy supply is under strain because of a cold snap across the country in the past few days. With some nuclear power plants down for maintenance, the country’s energy grid is at risk of being over-stretched. Could the Christmas turkey be served raw this year in certain parts of the country?!

Libération’s editorial says the problem illustrates a lack of advance planning. The last power plant was built in France in 1997 and since then, energy demands have increased by almost 10%. In the context of the Copenhagen summit, this energy shortage is a reminder of the increasing cost and rarity of energy supplies, the paper says.

Other stories in today’s French papers:

Le Parisien
The big identity fraud of football players

Le Figaro
End of cheques in the UK?

Libération
Senegal’s new monument causes controversy

By James CREEDON