Control-freak Jospin fails to press right buttons at TV-fest

Date: 31/05/01

By Simon Coss in Paris

IT WAS a funny way to launch a debate.

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's keynote speech this week on the future of Europe saw the government media-manipulation machine firing on all cylinders.

The entire event was staged solely for the benefit of television. The hundred or so journalists from the print media and hand-picked audience of 200 pro-Jospin students might as well have stayed at home.

Five minutes before Jospin took to the stage of a small theatre inside the headquarters of French public radio in Paris, copies of his speech were handed out to everyone.

Then, to cheers from the students on the balcony, the prime minister stepped up to the podium, read out the aforementioned missive word for word, thanked the assembled throng and left the room.

No possibility to ask questions or push Jospin to elaborate on his views. No impromptu briefing.

The prime minister did make a brief re-appearance at the post-speech canapés-and-cocktails reception in the theatre lobby. But he was surrounded by burly men with ear-pieces who made it clear their boss was not available for questioning.

He did manage to find time to autograph copies of his speech for several star-struck students however. Jospin was then guided smoothly to the lobby doors, climbed into his official car and was whisked away.

From the French government's point of view the event was certainly a success. The day's first edition of Le Monde, which appeared on news-stands less than an hour after Jospin finished speaking, included extracts from the speech splashed all over the front page and devoted three more pages to in-depth analysis.

Some cynics have pointed out that in order to write, correct, print and distribute all of this copy in the space of 45 short minutes, Le Monde must have either secretly revolutionised newspaper publishing as we know it or received a copy of the speech in advance. The joys of embargoed copy.

French TV was also more than happy to toe the government line.

All of the day's main news bulletins led with extracts from the speech and the usual talking heads from the Paris politico-media establishment were hauled into studios to give their views on Jospin's thoughts.

But again, one could not help getting the feeling that the ordinary French citizen was left out in the cold during the mediafest - even as interest in European issues is running at an all-time high here.

The imminent arrival of the euro and the mad cow and foot-and-mouth crises have focused minds on EU issues and there is a genuine desire to take part in the debate.

After the speech I talked to a cross-section of people about the great 'Future of Europe' and all had clear and well-formed opinions.

One was concerned that people were not prepared psychologically for the euro, another that his essential 'Frenchness' was threatened by creeping Europeanisation, and a third expressed fears about a lack of EU-level measures to deal with organised crime.

It is possible that I stumbled across a completely unrepresentative sample and that most French people couldn't care less about the Union.

But, frankly, I doubt it. There seems to be a genuine willingness to discuss the future of the Union.

But unless the government abandons its obsessive desire to control the debate, Jospin's latest speech will simply be remembered as just another lost opportunity.

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's keynote speech on the future of Europe saw the government media-manipulation machine firing on all cylinders.