French press review 16 August 2014

The Russia-Ukraine crisis, the Pope’s ground breaking pastoral visit to Asia and the stagnating French economy are the front page stories this Saturday.

Le Figaro claims that despite the disturbing economic figures published by the National Statistics Agency, which showed France posted zero growth in the second quarter, thereby extending the stagnation recorded in the first, Hollande and his Prime Minister still won’t change course and are sticking to their guns, banking on Europe to jump-start growth. That’s unacceptable to Germany and Berlin isn’t ready to make any concessions, just the for the blue eyes of the French says the right-wing newspaper. The French have lost the taste of prosperity it argues, adding that had it been another country, the Head of State would have dissolved parliament to get rid of such a cumbersome majority.

The INSEE figures have spelled the end to the illusions Hollande has entertained over the past two years writes Le Monde in a devastating editorial. Now is the time of lucidity, truth and sincerity, the paper says culling an excerpt from Finance Minister Michel Sapin who better than the conservative opposition and the rebellious left sheds light on the political impasse in which the President is. A salutary confession is not enough writes Le Monde reiterating that this should instead be a time of solutions and results which no one sees. For two years he squandered the little credit he had waiting for something that never arrived says Le Monde. The worst, according to the paper, is to give up. He must now propose solutions no matter the political risks involved, according to Le Monde.

President Francois Hollande has been in the southern port city of Toulon where he and 15 African leaders paid tribute to the hundreds of thousands of troops who, 70 years ago in World War II, launched the southern invasion of occupied France that opened up a second western front against Hitler's Nazis. Libération welcomes the event as a moment of grace for the President and an occasion to showcase his patriotism before the reopening of very stormy political season.

The Russia-Ukraine crisis has moved closer to the red line, says Libération. This is after Kiev announced on Friday it had destroyed part of a Russian military convoy that entered its territory. The paper says Moscow wasted no time to denounce the intensification of clashes in Pro-Russian eastern Ukraine claiming that the offensive was aimed at preventing the progress of their humanitarian convoy. The dangerous escalation underscores the failure of US President Barack Obama’s strategy writes Libé.

US Republican senator Bob Corker tells the paper that Russia’s aggression of Ukraine is a direct consequence of Obama’s decision not to conduct airstrikes against Syrian President Basha al-Assad after he carried out chemical attacks against his people.

Le Monde also posts a comment about the consequences of US hesitations in Iraq where Christian minorities are facing extinction as a result of Obama’s hesitant policies. As EU leaders endorsed plans to arm the Kurdish rebels fight insurgents of the Islamist state of Iraq, Le Monde says the reopening of the Iraqi conflict has badly fragilised the American leader.

And Le Monde offers in-depth coverage of Pope Francis’ historic visit to South Korea, the very first to Asia by a Pope in 15 years. The paper explores the threats Christian minorities face in the region especially, places like China where Catholics pray in clandestine churches or even in the streets. Part of its investigative report focuses on the North Korean capital Pyongyang once known as the Jerusalem of Asia. The city now has just four places of worship and even then, their prayer sessions are closely watched by secret police.

Le Monde has a profile of Chinese cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kuin of Hongkong described as the number one enemy of China’s official church. It is such realities that have forced the Vatican to drop the traditional policy of negotiation and dialogue in favour of “just war” diplomacy against the persecution of Christians around the world, according to Le Monde.