French press review 27 February 2015

French papers ignore “Jihadi John” but take a look in-depth at Boko Haram. France still waits for better economic times, although it is doing well in innovation.

US and British media – and indeed RFI’s news bulletins this morning - are excited by the naming of the man known as "Jihadi John", who turns out to be Mohammed Emwazi, a Kuwait-born London computer programmer. He's the masked man who appears in several videos beheading a number of Western hostages held by the Islamic State armed group in Syria.

Oddly enough, there's no coverage of this news in the French papers this morning. Which is not to say the papers here are not worried by jihadist violence. On the contrary. left-leaning Libération leads on "the bloody saga of Boko Haram", the Nigerian Islamist sect running rampage across the country's north-east in a conflict that's now spilling into neighbouring Francophone countries, such Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Typically, Libé's reportage – eight pages of text and photos - is wide-ranging and thorough. The paper explores how the sect, which was originally non-violent and focused on social injustice, has transformed itself into a merciless jihadist army and how mass abduction, indiscriminate slaughter and tens of thousands of refugees have brought chaos to the area bordering Lake Chad.

Indeed, Libé tells readers, instability further north, in the Sahel region, and the impossible task of policing borders, have enabled Boko Haram to expand beyond Nigeria. Fighting the terrorist is a region-wide headache, the paper says.

Libé is rather pleased with itself, declaring in its editorial that its coverage is of "immense value". It claims to have lifted the veil on a conflict and a humanitarian tragedy that's unfolding out of sight. Media access and coverage are difficult and dangerous. Nonetheless, its reporters have gone there and got the story.

Boko Haram is becoming one of the most dreaded terrorist groups on earth, the paper says. It's a key issue not just for Nigeria and its neighbours but for Europe and the rest of the world.

The other papers this morning stay closer to home. The front page of Le Figaro laments that France is lagging behind the rest of Europe when it comes to economic growth. There are signs of recovery, the paper says. But without reforms France will be overtaken by its neighbours. The forecasts for this year are: the UK 2.6 per cent; Spain 2.3 per cent; Germany 1.5 per cent: and France with a woeful 1.0 per cent.

Le Figaro notes that Prime Minister Manuel Valls has promised better days to come for the French. However, the recovery is weak and still not enough to create jobs and lower the number of unemployed

The Catholic Daily La Croix tackles the same story from a different angle, wondering what France can do about employment, retirement and so forth. The paper notes that Brussels has given France until 2017 to reduced its budget deficit to beneath 3.0 per cent. In exchange for the breathing space, it is demanding a detailed programme of reforms. La Croix is not bothered by this at all. It is not scandalous nor is it "shameful interference" in France's internal affairs. It is something to which France has consented. And, if reforms are implemented the results could be favourable, the paper believes.

Will it be easy? No! It will require courage from the executive. Will it be possible? Yes! Because a majority in the National Assembly and public opinion are ready for reform. La Croix thinks that a repeat of what it calls "the psychodrama" surrounding the Macron Law - last week's faltering steps towards reforming the labour market - isn't possible.

La Croix generally looks for the positives in most situations. But this sounds like wishful thinking. With a left fringe of the ruling Socialist Party vehemently opposed to liberalising economic activity or cutting back entitlements, it promises to be an uphill struggle.

The front page of Le Monde trumpets what it regards as good news. Evidently, France is among world leaders when it comes to innovation. Almost 13,000 patents were lodged in France last year. That ranks sixth worldwide and second in Europe; only Germany registered more.

One explanation offered by Le Monde is that research benefits from a tax credit, an encouragement put in place during the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy and maintained by the current government. That said, there is competition. China's crop of patents in 2010 matched that of France. Last year, China delivered twice as many.

We can't say we were not warned. "China is a sleeping giant. Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move the world.” That was Napoléon Bonaparte 200 years ago.