Some exciting developments, some still-developing stories, and some food(ha!)-for-thought, plus a couple of other updates at the end. Let’s get into it!
PARIS TO SCALE BACK OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY
The Paris 2024 opening ceremony, the first Olympics kick off to be held outside of a stadium, was initially expected to bring in 600,000 spectators and be open to the public. But due to security concerns, it will be half that size and invitation-only. (The Athletic)
I’m okay with this, I just wish the interior minister’s messaging wasn’t so alarmist. We know security is a major concern for the Games, why go deeper and into the weeds about just how worried officials are? Why not just tell us that to ensure it all goes smoothly and true to their vision, they need to scale back a bit. I truly believe we, as citizens, really do know too much on certain issues and that creates a culture of panic. (It all reminds me of the government’s Covid-19 messaging in the first year that oscillated between unscientific and fatalist followed by unscientific and lax).
“WE’RE NOT RACIST BUT….”
France’s broken record when it comes to racial divisions just keeps on repeating. This time, the nonsense exposed the French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura to racial attacks from the far-right extremists and pundits after rumors that she would perform Edith Piaf at the opening ceremony of the Olympics. As the bestselling Francophone artist in the world (yes, you read correctly!), she is perfectly suited to represent France during the Olympics and I think we know why a certain set of the population took issue with the mere suggestion the Malian-born singer who grew up in Seine-Saint-Denis—where the majority of Olympic events will be held— serve as the face of the country.
Rachida Dati, the culture minister, warned against “pure racism”, and Lilian Thuram, the former French footballer, said: “When people say Aya Nakamura can’t represent France, what criteria do they base it on? I know the criteria, because when I was a footballer, some also said this isn’t the French team because there are too many Blacks.” (The Guardian)
Don’t know her music? Here’s her most streamed song above, and more background on her as a public figure here.
PARIS SPENDS BILLIONS ON PUBLIC HOUSING
I didn’t speak about housing in particular with my latest podcast guest,
, but it’s been the subject of many of our private discussions. This New York Times piece takes a more optimistic tone on the subject of Parisian housing and retail space than, say, Cole Stangler whom I interviewed in this newsletter about his book (read here), while still highlighting its challenges. But I think this commitment to investing in public housing is crucial and highlights a fundamental difference between the way France and the U.S. view social services.“But François Rochon, an urban planning consultant, said there is a functional consensus between right and left in France today on the need for public housing that mirrors some other European nations, but not the United States. “Living in social housing is not stigmatized,” said Mr. Rochon, who pointed to its roots a century ago in France, when companies built apartments for their workers.
As a measure of the left-right alignment on the issue, Benoist Apparu, a former housing minister who served in a conservative government, described social housing as “absolutely essential.”
FOR THE LOVE OF FAST FOOD
McDonalds’ second most successful market after the United States is France — this is not new. What is new is the wave of wildly popular franchises that have set up shop across the country (plenty in Paris), from Popeyes and Krispy Kreme to Five Guys and Burger King (which famously launched and failed in France, closing its locations in 1997 before returning, successfully, 15 years later). Also, imagine my surprise when I’m watching this video and discover one of the financial experts interviewed, Andrew Charles, is none other than one of my high school classmates! Wild.
FRANCE ENSHRINES ABORTION INTO CONSTITUTION
In case you missed the massive news, access to abortion has been explicitly enshrined into the French constitution, the first country in the world to do so. Does that mean the fight stops here? Absolutely not. Access itself remains a hurdle, as Le Monde reported:
As France's healthcare system is under great strain, access to abortion remains a practical problem in the country: a lack of information, practitioners and dedicated beds in some parts of the country mean that every year, women find themselves beyond the deadline for the procedure (LT note: 14 weeks after conception). Measures have been taken, such as allowing midwives to perform surgical abortions, but these remain insufficient. Beyond the strong symbolism that enshrining abortion in the Constitution represents, it is on the effectiveness of this "guaranteed freedom" that the fight must now focus.
KNOW THY ENEMY: THE 28-YEAR OLD RISING STAR OF THE FAR RIGHT
Watch this guy….Marine Le Pen is still the face of the French far right, but her 28-year-old protégé is snapping at her heels and increasingly stealing the limelight from the perennial political figure. (Politico)
3 THINGS …
A rosé wine book I wrote last year is being released in less than a month! If you’ve been a fan of Château d’Esclans, including their cuvée Whispering Angel, you might like this celebration of rosé. I found it fascinating to dig into the Sacha Lichine’s background and his unique vision for bringing the wine, long maligned as cheap-and-cheerful but little else, upscale and into the category of fine wines. Order a copy of the Book of Rosé!
Mark your calendars: April 18th, I’ll be on a panel (sûrement en français) at Le Bon Marché’s bookstore for Sarah Andelman’s fun Mise en Page installation! Details to come but the moderator will be Charles Pignal of the podcast Lit with Charles and we’ll be discussing books that shaped us. In the meantime, don’t miss the exhibition and weekly events (see the schedule here).
Head’s up! My pal
, an artist and published author, is hosting a five-day watercolor retreat in an old École de Paris historic artist studio. See the details, book your spot, and come get inspired here.
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Apart from the significance of the constitution's amendment, I was fascinated to see the proceedings of the joint session of the Nat'l Assemby and the Senate take place in the congress chamber at Versailles. More than 2 centuries after the Revolution, the Sun King's great château still has an official place, even if only a minor cermonial one, in the political life of the modern French state.