German News Report for: Friday, March 31st
Based on the daily monitoring of:
Daily national newspapers:
Handelsblatt, Der Tagesspiegel, Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, S’ddeutsche Zeitung, Financial-Times-Deutschland
Weekly national newspapers:
Die Zeit, VDI Nachrichten, Welt am Sonntag
Weekly magazines:
Capital, Der Spiegel, Focus, Manager Magazin, Stern, Wirtschaftswoche, Industrieanzeiger
On special occasions and specific topics, the news-report may also refer to other media not listed above.
Newspaper Der Tagesspiegel
Title: Rat billigt Arbeitsrecht in Frankreich / Council approves labour law in France
Author: Hans-Hagen Bremer (Paris)
Cordula Eubel (Berlin)
Content/ Tonality: France’s constitutional council approved Prime Minister de Villepin’s employment law on Thursday thus Chirac is in position to sign it this very day. Its entry into force takes up nine days. The Elys’e announced the head of state to hold a speech today. It is said that President Chirac wants to invite the social partners to a round table where measures concerning the employment situation will be discussed.
Even though this verdict can be seen as a victory for Mr. de Villepin, the protests will continue to raise this political crisis.
Comment: Political information
Newspaper Handelsblatt
Title: Chirac darf Reformgesetz unterschreiben / Chirac is allowed to sign the reform bill
Author: Holger Alich (Paris)
Content/ Tonality: Yesterday evening the French constitutional council passed a widely discussed controversial law concerning the prime employment contract without reservations and declared it as fully just according to the constitution.
The judges see no violation of the fundamental equality law in creating a special employment contract for under 26 years-old that provides a two year probation period. There is going to be a public TV announcement this Friday.
Presumably Chirac is signing the bill and thus ‘activating’ the law today.
According to speculations Prime Minister de Villepin is handing in his resignation if President Chirac is protracting. If the President is to sign this bill, there will be another mass mobilisation for a further strike. The next ‘strike day’ is set to Tuesday.
Comment: Political information
Newspaper Handelsblatt
Title: Fern der Praxis / Far from realisation
Author: Holger Alich (Paris)
Content/ Tonality: The conflict concerning the prime employment contract has long ago reached the dimensions of political crisis. The real problem though is, so says the article, France’s alarmingly high rate of youth unemployment. This did fall out of focus. A reform concerning the apprenticeship at schools and universities is highly overdue.
Comment: Political information
Newspaper: Die Welt
Title: Studenten blockieren aus Protest Gleise in Frankreich / To show their protest students block rails in France
Author: AP
Content/ Tonality: Hundreds of students hindered the public transportation in several major cities to show their protesting attitude concerning the Villepin’s reform.
Tear gas was used against students blocking the rails.
Unions and students have called up for further nation wide strikes and demonstrations on Tuesday.
Comment: Societal information and Political information