French press review 22 February 2010

Leftist Liberation is running the ongoing saga of the socialist George Freches who was expelled from the party lists after making anti-semitic comments about fellow leftie Laurent Fabius.Freche, the President of the Languedoc Rousillion region, will now run as an independent in the upcoming regional elections...

But the question now is- what about those officials in the region who continue to support his candidature?

Socialist party rules stipulate that the names that appeared alongside Freche's for the elections should now toe the party line and run with the Socialists' replacement Helene Mandroux.

If they don't, they could soon see themselves butted out of the party as soon as tomorrow night. The list includes two Presidents of County Assemblies, five Federal Secretaries and several mayors...

Expelled or not, the episode will be an embarassement for the Socialist party whatever the outcome.

Financial daily Les Echos leads with the news that motorists here in France could soon face fuel shortages because of... yes you guessed it, a strike.

This time its employees at the French oil giant Total who have decided to down tools over proposals to close a key refinery outside the town of dunkerque.

Assurances yesterday from the company's director that he would preserve the site, and therefore jobs, were not enough to calm the nerves of the unions.

Total refines nearly 54 percent of France's crude oil, and should the stike continue, drivers could soon have to walk to work.

Government sympathetic Le Figaro hails Franco-American co-operation this morning leading with the ominous battle cry 'France and the United States threaten Iran with sanctions'.

Music to the ears of those here who have said for years that France hasn't played a big enough role on the international scene.

The call comes after the publication of the International Atomic watchdog's report that says Iran is now enriching uranium at 20 percent. The kind of stuff aimed to put the bang in a bomb and not lights in Tehran.

Le Monde leads with the news that french society is physically tired.

In an interview with the paper the Republic's ombudsman, a chap called Jean Paul Delevoye, says he's worried that a doctrine of every man for himself has replaced people's desire to live together.

This in turn is taking its toll on morale in french society in general.

He recieved 76 thousand dossiers last year, and from those draws the conclusion that the rift between the citizen and the state has never been greater.

56 percent of the sackloads of letters that the ombudsman recieved were demands for inforrmation on medical issues, where patients thought they weren't informed enough through the channels already in place.

Delevoye says the economic crisis hasn't helped the spirit of good citizenship. He estimates that some 15 million people here finish the month with between 50 and 150 euros to spare.