French press review 6 December 2014

A French union leader is accused of wasting his members’ money on internal decoration. Artists take up the climate change fight. French activists demonstrate against police violence. And CAR intellectuals discuss their country’s heritage of violence.

One of the main headlines this morning is the story of a crisis within one of France's main trade unions, the CGT. When we hear stories of disgruntled French workers out on the streets of the capital, it is often the CGT behind that rally.

The current brouhaha concerns secretary general Thierry Lepaon and is essentially about whether he was diddling internal finances when he renovated his house in the leafy Paris suburb of Vincennes as well as his office. An investigation by the Canard Enchaîné, the weekly satirical paper which often breaks stories of scandal in France, reveals that the sum of the cash lavished on these projects could be around 300,000 euros. The last time that a CGT leader was kicked out was over 100 years ago, as Libération points out.

Le Monde’s headline makes no bones about saying that Lepaon is being pushed out. So far CGT heads have not given him the boot, nor has he decided to resign. However, as right-wing Le Figaro points out in its headline, it is only a temporary reprieve. A meeting in a week or so's time will determine his fate. Lepaon claims foul play, an internal plot but, notes Le Monde, only the communist paper l'Humanité continues to support him.

Left-wing Libération explores why it is that artists are getting increasingly involved in the fight against climate change. Next December Paris will host the next international climate change conference where world diplomats will get together to thrash out a deal. But Libé's editorial explains that many ordinary citizens are disillusioned by the lack of decisive action and increasingly artists, including filmmakers such as James Cameron and musicians like Radiohead, are entering the fray.

The photo on the interior page may be recognised by those familiar with artist Isaac Cordel's work - he uses miniature figurines to depict catastrophe. This one is called "waiting for climate change" and shows businessmen reading papers half-submerged in a puddle. The main article describes some of the artistic projects in the pipeline for next year, including, believe it or not, lighting up the Eiffel Tower with "human energy" harnessed from people walking up steps and having a shuffle on a dance floor.

Sticking with Libé, a story on its website covers the rallies against police violence, not in the US but here in Paris, this weekend. This is in the wake of the ruling that absolved the police of any wrongdoing after the death of a young activist after clashes with the police.

A collective called Stop le contrôle au faciès is behind the organisation of several protests around the French capital. "Faciès" is tricky to translate as it essentially means facial features but has been come to signify memberhsip of an ethnic minority. Many people from minority groups feel they are disproportionately targeted by the police in stop and searches. This collective is also overtly acting in solidarity with protesters in the US demonstrating against police violence.

La Croix takes us to Africa in its top story. The Catholic daily keeps the spotlight on the Central African Republic. The CAR has for over a year now been experiencing violence between the predominantly Muslim Seleka armed groups and the predominantly Christian anti-Seleka vigilantes, following a political crisis. La Croix takes a step back from the daily turmoil in the country to examine the root causes of the conflict by asking the opinions of some CAR intellectuals.

One of the most interesting, if rather woeful, insights in the current socio-economic make-up of the country comes from psychologist Tompte-Tom Enoch. He says that CAR's youth, who make up the majority of the Seleka, were born in the 1990s and have been raised in violent times. Enoch says that the fact that they have never had a chance to articulate the trauma they have experienced has had a catastrophic impact on their development.

Sociologist Zéphirin Mogba adds that films they were watching in the 1990s were filled with violence, including sexual violence. So some food for thought for those seeking to break the cycle of violence in the CAR in the long term.