French press review 31 December 2016

Papers have an “end of the year” feel this morning, with recaps of what happened in 2016.

Libération has a full retrospective of the year, headlined “A year of craziness”, with an illustration that sums it all: Donald Trump kissing Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the like of the so-called “Kiss of Death” between Erich Honecker and Leonid Brezhnev. 

The papers says that 2016 was the year of stunned astonishment, because it has been so unpredictable, so violent, so inconsistent - it gave us all a sense of great helplessness, the paper says.

The paper has 24 pages dedicated to the major events of the year, to name only a few: Brussels and its deadly attacks in March; the latest attack in Berlin; the fight for Aleppo, represented by one single picture, one that has shocked many: 5-year-old Omran, in shock covered with dust and blood. Then you have, of course, the shock of both Brexit and Trump, begging the question: will France face a similar fate when presidential elections come around in May?

Le Monde on the other hand decided to look at what to praise 2016 for in terms of music, cinema, but also how much the French media were shaken this year, with, for example, mogul Vincent Bolloré gaining more power and dictating his own political and media agenda, that have led to great change within French major TV channels.

In its online edition, Le Monde has a full page dedicated to what has been going on in 2016, one can select a theme, and browse through any retrospective.

But still, on its paper frontpage, the paper decided to lead with Syria, stating that Russia is ahead of the game, with Moscow imposing the ceasefire. Online, Le Monde has a video headlined “The Syrian conflict is managed by three countries that are not Arabic” which gives in depth analysis into the conflict.

Le Monde’s editorial also gives Putin the headline “Man of the year”. It says that if Donald Trump undoubtedly monopolised the headlines around the world this year, the real man of 2016 is Putin. Le Monde says that the race the man started 16 years ago, his plan to put Russia back in the game, is finally now paying off. Not only is he driving the talks on Syria now, it says, he has been on all front this year - getting cosy with China, Japan, not to mention Trump. All of that while re-inventing modern espionage.

And speaking of which, Le Figaro headlines with “Russia-United States, the Cyber Cold War”. The editorial says that a strong gesture such as the expulsion of the Russian diplomats can cover up an even greater weakness.

The papers asks, is this President Barack Obama’s last retaliation? and wonders whether this will trump Trump, since this could place him on a slippery slope. Trump said he wanted to open a new chapter in the Russia-US relations, but his republican fellows do not really see eye to eye with the Kremlin ruler. 2017 should prove interesting in terms of politics Le Figaro suggests.

Online, Le Figaro gives scores of articles related to the so-called cyber cold war, between Trump praising Putin’s intelligence, and the paper goes in length into how vast the Russian cyber-army is.

Something that France keeps in mind as well, Libération says. The paper has an article on how Paris is gearing up for its own elections, fearing interference from Russia as well.

The article says that Russian operatives are as efficient as they were in the great pre-Yeltsin era, not to mention that the far-right party, the Front National, having received some money from Russia comes into play as well - with claims that Le Pen was given the loan as a “reward” for backing Putin’s stance on Crimea.