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Big In Japan
The Independent runs the weirdest story of the week, reporting on claims that French president Jacques Chirac has a Japanese love child.
Saucy Jacques is rumoured to be a ladies man, despite his long marriage to the formidable Bernadette. He is said, however, to lack a certain finesse in his handling of Ugandan affairs, supposedly earning himself the nickname "Monsieur Trois Minutes (shower compris)" among female staff.
The French press, bound by strict privacy laws and a cosy code of honour among politicians and their media lackeys, refuses to report on stories like these. There is a certain arrogance about this partly self-imposed ban which is often disguised as Gallic tolerance of affairs of the heart. One of its effects is to stir up rumours. Another is to drive voters to extremist anti-establishment candidates like Jean-Marie Le Pen and Arlette Laguiller once affairs become public. The Independent mentions public anger following the official 'outing' of president Mitterand's secret daughter Mazarine. Rumours about her were whispered for years. Her existence was only confirmed when her father was dying.
Guy Birenbaum, author of the book which contains the Chirac story, cites websites, unconfirmed reports, speculation and circumstantial evidence (such as M Chirac's 40 official and unofficial visits to Japan in the past twenty years) to back up his claim. Birenbaum has previous when it comes to exposing Chirac, being closely associated with left-wingers who have endeavoured to shine some light on the president's financial and personal dealings. He admits, however, that the president's much documented love of Japan may be the reason for his visits.
Birenbaum's book is the latest in a steady stream criticising the relationship between France's media and its politicians. Newspaper of record Le Monde was the subject of a bestseller last year, while journalist Daniel Carton broke the French media's omerta by publishing a book revealing how the press is complicit in government spin and cover-ups.
Perhaps in response to this criticism, the media has recently toughened its stance, most notably in the British-style savaging the government received over the heat wave deaths. Despite this the Observer notes that the media's new-found assertiveness coincided with the holiday leave of its most influential editors. Perhaps September will see business as usual.
