French press review 15 March 2011

French dailies are leading with fears of a nuclear catastrophy in Japan on Tuesday. 

Le Monde is once again leading with the aftermath of Friday's earthquake in Japan. The editorial is entitled "A lesson in dignity throughout tragedy". Indeed the number of dead is thought to be more than 10,000 not to mention the half a million refugees, a nuclear crisis and material damage.

Le Monde is impressed by the Japanese ability to keep their cool and solidarity despite facing their worst crisis in 65 years.

Another article in Le Monde looks at the astonishing self control exercised by the Japanese. Their ever “preparedness” when it comes to natural disasters and the influence of Buddhism and Shinto religions encourage an acceptance of the precarious surroundings of the archipelago. This has structured mentalities. The country’s recent chain of natural disasters is a reminder of the forces of nature. Le Monde writes that this has led to a concept of death as an integral part of life and Japanese children are brought up to keep their sufferings to themselves. The paper goes on to say that this doesn't mean they aren't ambitious. The way they took over the land proves this.

Catholic La Croix says the Japanese aren't a civilisation of stone but of wood which is reliable but not eternal. "A shinto shrine is rebuilt every 20 years," writes La Croix once again highlighting Japan's never ending reconstruction.

Compared to the Japanese… the French aren't quite as cool-headed. According to a survey carried out The Guardian, Le Monde and other European papers 82 per cent of French people don't trust the government when it comes to solving a crisis.

Most Europeans believe the worst is still to come regarding the economic crisis. The French have the bleakest view of the future while Spain, who has been one of the worst-hit European countries in terms recession, is perhaps the most optimistic.

French psychiatrists will today protest a potential new law that will be voted in the National Assembly. The story has made it into a couple of papers. French shrinks feel this new law will affect fundamental freedoms, is unfair and doesn't really take into account the rights of patients. This law could mean that the local government would have a greater say regarding the release of people who have been sectioned. This means that should the local prefet decide so, people could remain locked up longer than medically recommended.

In La Croix a member of Sarkozy's UMP party says the law does take into account different case scenarios and that a lot of the negative reaction is down to “primary anti-sarkozysm.” Indeed Sarkozy called for a law to be brought in after a young women was killed by a schizophrenic in 2008.

Leftist Libération interviews various people on the matter. The parents of a sectioned 40 year old fear this new law will lead patients to be treated like dogs, while the head of a psychiatric unit says she fears local authorities will play god without really taken into account the disposition of patients or the fact that for instance hospitals lack staff. In any case the 47 page law project is driving French psychiatrists a little nuts.