French press review 11 January 2014

The resignation of the Central African Republic’s interim president Michel Djotodia is one of the top stories this morning. And, of course, there’s President François Hollande’s love life.

Le Figaro formally attributes Djotodia ‘s removal to France and Chad, the host of the regional summit where the ex-rebel leader announced he was stepping down.

For Le Figaro ” there is an impression of déjà vu” in the Central African Republic, the ghost of Françafrique lurking again. It also explains that France and her African allies openly encouraged Djotodia and prime minister Nicolas Tiangaye to bow out. Le Figaro thinks their exit has clarified the situation in Bangui, as both men have proven incapable of reconciling a country on the brink of collapsing into interreligious confrontation.

“Djotodia ejected from his presidential chair” headlines Libération, highlighting the scenes of celebration which erupted in Bangui Friday, as thousands of residents turned out to salute the resignation. Libé argues that Djotodia’s acceptance that he should step down is a tacit admission of his failure to deal with the violence and killings carried out under his watch.

”This not the time for celebration,” warns Libération. It reports that gunfire erupted in the capital throughout the afternoon Friday, probably thanks to renegade members of Djotodia’s disbanded force when they learned about his departure. The left-leaning newspaper says that French armoured vehicles have taken up positions around the presidential palace, despite ignoring who its next tenant will be.

Le Figaro is taking French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Led Drian at his word. He has stated that the CAR’s National Transition Council has the responsibility of establishing a provisional governing mechanism, since the objective France and her allies are working on is to hold elections in the country before the end of the year.

A large picture of a dejected-looking President François Hollande is splashed across the front page of today’s Aujourd’hui en France in the wake of allegations by the celebrity gossip magazine Closer that he is having an affair with actress Julie Gayet.

The paper reports that the magazine’s photographs of the president constitute an unprecedented abuse and undermine the demarcation line drawn in France between the public and private lives of politicians.These allegations come at a terrible time for Hollande as he prepares to give a press conference on policy on Tuesday, according to Aujourd’hui en France.

Right-wing Le Figaro notes that this is not the first time that Hollande’s private life has clashed with his public responsibilities. In June last year, it explains, Hollande’s partner, Valerie Trierweiler, tweeted her support to Olivier Falorni, the dissident who defeated the mother of Hollande’s children, Ségolène Royal, in parliamentary elections.