'1,000 new French jobseekers every day'

There's only one subject in the French papers this morning - today's crisis summit on unemployment chaired by Nicolas Sarkozy. The papers weight up various politicians' propositions for how to slash the soaring figures - without, it must be said, having much confidence in any of them.

IN THE PAPERS

By Elena CASAS

Business paper Les Echos is not very impressed with Sarkozy's plan for "social" VAT to save employers cash on social security contributions - they say he announces new reforms so often voters have stopped listening.

Liberation reckons there are 1,000 new jobseekers in France every week - and they've evaluated every candidate's proposals to keep those numbers down.

Le Figaro, on the other hand, thinks Sarkozy is on exactly the right track - and if only it were cheaper to hire and easier to fire workers, everything would be resolved.

04/02/2010 - IN THE PAPERS

Laurent Blanc likely to be next French football manager

FRENCH PRESS REVIEW: Le Parisien says the Bordeaux manager will more than likely take over from Raymond Domenech as the French football manager but not until after the South Africa World Cup this summer.

03/02/2010 - IN THE PAPERS

“Israel is more tolerant of Muslims than burka-obsessed France”

FRENCH PRESS REVIEW: How can a Western democracy, the symbol of liberty throughout the entire world, dictate to its inhabitants the degree to which they can dress, asks Sefi Hendler in today’s Ha’aretz.

(1) comment

03/02/2010 - IN THE PAPERS

Gaffe-prone George Frêche puts Socialists in a pickle

FRENCH PRESS REVIEW: Not-so-fresh politician, Georges Frêche has made his last gaffe as a member of the Socialist Party having said a Jewish former Prime Minister, Laurent Fabius “doesn’t look very Catholic”. Having cut their ties with the Frêche, the Socialists could now lose out in his Languedoc region in the upcoming regional elections.

02/02/2010 - IN THE PAPERS

Guardian journalist calls for citizens’ arrest of Tony Blair

INTERNATIONAL PRESS REVIEW: The campaign has taken off! Last week The Guardian’s George Monbiot called for a citizen’s arrest of Tony Blair for leading the UK to war in Iraq. He has been blown away by the campaign’s success.

02/02/2010 - IN THE PAPERS

Court case opens to investigate Concorde crash 10 years ago

Were the Concorde manufacturers responsible for the July 2000 crash in Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris or was it the fault of a Continental Airlines flight that left debris behind on the runway? A case opened today in the Paris region to investigate the disaster.