France

Hey everyone!

I recently arrived in France, the country of love! I always wanted to visit France, because of its beautiful historical buildings and culture.

But recently the weekly newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné revealed that Michèle Alliot-Marie, the foreign minister, went on holiday to Tunisia during the wave of violent protest that toppled the country’s autocratic leader, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Alliot-Marie admitted that she accepted a flight in a private plane owned by a Tunisian businessman during the holiday at the end of last year. She insisted the man was a personal friend and a victim of the regime, not a supporter.

François Fillon, the prime minister, stood by Alliot-Marie, but soon found himself in the same situation: there were rumors that Egypt funded the prime minister’s family holiday. Fillon said to the media that the Egyptian government had provided his family with accommodation, a flight and a trip on the Nile during the holiday (from 26 December to 2 January).

After the media published some articles about Alliot-Marie and François Fillon, the French president, Sarkozy, intervened! He told the ministers at a cabinet meeting that any invitations by foreign governments had to be approved by the prime minister. He also told the ministers that he preferred that they would take their holidays in France.

My opinion is quite divided. I’m not for junkets paid by foreign governments and I’m not against it. In some countries it is almost incomprehensible for politicians to accept junkets paid by foreign governments. And on the other hand you have countries, such as Germany, where private family vacations are the norm for most politicians. If someone offers you a free holiday in his country, then why should you refuse it? But, if there are problems in that country, like in Tunisia or Egypt, then I wouldn’t go on holiday, even if it’s for free. I think they should use their brains and first think about the offer he/she got from the foreign government.

Sarkozy is now taking measures that are hilarious! Any invitations by foreign governments need to be approved by the prime minister. The prime minister himself went on holiday to Egypt and came in the media because Egypt funded his trip! I think it’s really funny that someone who recently got negative publicity now must decide whether someone else should accept or deny an invitation. Above that, Sarkozy himself came under fire in 2007 after he was elected for taking a holiday on a yacht belonging to the French magnate Vincent Bolloré. So, I think that he shouldn’t take that measure now. If he was allowed to go on a trip, organized by a foreign government, then the ministers now should get that chance also.

See you next time when I’m in Germany.

Bye,

Libera Noerens

The source I used: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/09/sarkozy-ministers-france-holiday