Some Views from France

Although the French connection to Nouvelle-Orleans gave an added impetus to the story, which was covered regularly in the French media, and we had daily access also to UK papers, we only realised the difference in coverage when we got back to the UK with access to 24-hour news channels at the weekend. Relying on occasional French TV news bulletins did not give the full scope of the disaster across Louisiana and Mississippi, frankly, nor the extent of the breakdown of civil society, the failures of the US Government response nor the righteous anger in return.

The major news in France was of course the deaths from fires/arson in the 'logements' - squats and lodgings - in Paris. It came to light that these were not the first examples. The pictures shown on French TV of some of the places, and the kind of dangerous electrical wiring within them, suggested conditions far worse than we know even in some of the worst HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) in the UK.

It was also the season of the political party summer universities, and the struggle for leadership of the Parti Socialiste was getting a lot of coverage, trying to find a candidate for the Presidency next time. I saw the Guardian actually had quite a good summary of it all, though the online headline is sillier than the one I saw in France.

When we arrived in France, Paris-Match's issue of 18 August had an article asking whether the English were saving French Villages:

Nos villages français sauvés par les Anglais ?

I wonder if we'll hear the same question being asked in certain parts of Wales anytime soon?