French weekly magazines review 21 August 2016

French politics dominates the cover pages this week as commentators look forward to the resumption of political business after the summer holidays.

Revue de presse des hebdomadaires DR

Le Point is all about private conversations with the president, an inside account of how President François Hollande hopes to revive what the magazine believes is his bleak political fortunes, a year away from the 2017 presidential elections.

The cover page story is dedicated to an unprecedented exclusive interview Monsieur Hollande granted to editors of French Catholic and Protestant media outlets, in the aftermath of the July 26 assassination of French priest Jacques Hamel by two young jihadists.

The issue is entitled l’aveu” or confession as President Hollande appeared, in the journal’s own words, unconvinced that his record on rolling back double digits unemployment will suffice to guarantee his re-election.

Le Canard Enchaîné says a rush for golden parachutes by top presidential advisers is the clearest signal yet that even President Hollande's most-trusted aides doubt their boss has a future in the Elysée. According to the satirical weekly, out of the 42 big fish he appointed on taking office in 2012, only six are still by his side.

This week’s Le Figaro Magazine predicts a stressful post summer holiday season for the government. It cites as: President Hollande’s record unpopularity, the growing opposition he encounters from the left of his party, the multiplication of candidates scrambling to face Hollande in Socialist party primaries in January.

The right-wing publication also reviews two newly published books which it claims are certain to aggravate the stressful atmosphere at the Elysée.

“First Secretary of the Republic” by journalist Cyril Graziani which is due on the stands on the 5 December and “How they killed the Left” by Pierre Jacquemain, a former adviser to Labour Minister Myriam el Khomri. 

According to Le Figaro Magazine, Graziani’s book, which is already sold out, is an inside chronicle of how the Hollande Presidency got from bad to worse, complete with anecdotes about amateurism and absence of foresight in executive decisions.

Marianne on its part explores what it calls a French disease: the age-long passion the French have had for so-called "providential leaders", which have sent a string of politicians dreaming of becoming the supreme saviours of the fatherland.

According to the left-leaning weekly, the likes of Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime minister Manuel Valls, former minister Arnaud Montebourg and far left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon see themselves as the next Napoleon Bonaparte or Charles de Gaulle as they go out searching for the so-called “Elyséean Grail”, while presenting themselves as the only ones capable of rebuilding the country.

And talking about the politicians searching for the grail, this week's L'Express is all about former President Nicolas Sarkozy who is due to launch his bid this August to stand in the main opposition Republican party’s primaries.

L’Express claims that his combative instincts are intact, the political context favourable and an army of die hard loyalists ready to back him. But L’Express warns that Sarkozy, who will face a tough challenge from political foes inside his party, will need to convince the nation that he understands the reasons behind his defeat in the 2012 Presidential elections.

Left-leaning l’Obs, dedicates this week's issue to China’s venerated leader Mao Tse Tung as the country prepares to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his death on the 9th of September.

He was a serious criminal in history, holds the left-wing magazine, recalling that 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Mao’s Cultural Revolution during which 50 million Chinese were killed, 45 million of them from the three-year famine.

According to L’Obs while his “great Leap forward “ caused untold destruction and suffering, benefitting illiterate peasants, while educated city dwellers bore the brunt of Mao’s authoritarian rule.