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Hariri to return to Paris for Lebanon crisis talks

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri will attend talks in Paris Friday on the crisis triggered by his recent resignation announcement to be attended by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, France said Tuesday.

Published: 5 December 2017 15:44 CET
Hariri to return to Paris for Lebanon crisis talks
Photo: AFP
“The aim is to support the political process (in Lebanon) at a crucial moment,” the French foreign ministry said, minutes after Hariri announced he had rescinded his resignation.
   
“It will send a message both to the various parties in Lebanon and to countries in the region,” the ministry added.
   
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council — the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China — will be represented at the meeting, along with Germany, Italy and Egypt.
 
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Photo: AFP  

French officials said the goal was to shore up Lebanese institutions, by strengthening the army and supporting Hariri's economic programme, with a view to encouraging foreign investment in the country.
   
Hariri announced he was stepping down on November 4 in a surprise televised address from Saudi Arabia that sent tremors through Lebanon, long a proxy battleground for regional powers.
 
His resignation was seen as part of an intensifying power struggle between the Saudi kingdom — which had long backed Hariri — and its regional rival Iran, which backs the armed organisation Hezbollah.
   
After announcing he was bowing out Hariri, who accused Hezbollah of destabilising Lebanon, remained in Riyadh, sparking speculation that he was being held hostage by the Saudis.
   
French President Emmanuel Macron intervened to try defuse the crisis, inviting Hariri to Paris for talks, after which he returned to Beirut to a hero's welcome.
   
Two weeks later, following consultations with the various political groups in Lebanon, Hariri announced Tuesday he was withdrawing his resignation.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

Factcheck: Is France really trying to ban speaking English at the Paris Olympics?

A resolution by a group of French MPs to 'say non to English at the Paris Olympics' has generated headlines - but will athletes and visitors really be required to speak French?

Published: 3 May 2024 10:10 CEST
Factcheck: Is France really trying to ban speaking English at the Paris Olympics?

In a resolution adopted on Thursday, France’s Assemblée Nationale urged organisers of the 2024 Paris Games, as well as athletes, trainers and journalists, to use French as much as possible.

Annie Genevard, the sponsor of the resolution from the right-wing Les Républicains party, expressed alarm to fellow MPs that “the Olympic Games reflect the loss of influence of our language.”

The French MP’s resolution has garnered headlines, but does it actually mean anything?

Citing examples of English slogans in international sport, she added: “The fight for the French language … is never finished, even in the most official spheres.

“Let’s hope that ‘planche a roulettes’ replaces skateboard and ‘rouleau du cap’ point break (a surfing term), but I have my doubts.”

She’s right to doubt it – in French the skateboarding event is ‘le skateboard’, while the new addition of break-dancing is ‘le breaking‘.

But what does this actually mean?

In brief, not a lot. This is a parliamentary resolution, not a law, and is totally non-binding.

The Games are organised by the International Olympic Committee, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and Paris City Hall – MPs do not have a role although clearly the Games must follow any French domestic laws that parliament passes.

The French parliament has got slightly involved with security issues for the Games, passing laws allowing for the use of enhanced security and surveillance measures including the use of facial recognition and drone technology that was previously outlawed in France.

So what do the Olympic organisers think of English?

The Paris 2024 organisers have shown that they have no problem using English – which is after all one of the two official languages of the Olympics. The other being French.

The head of the organising committee Tony Estanguet speaks fluent English and is happy to do so while official communications from the Games organisers – from social media posts to the ticketing website – are all available in both French and English.

Even the slogan for the Games is in both languages – Ouvrir grand les jeux/ Games wide open (although the pun only really works in French).

In fact the Games organisers have sometimes drawn criticism for their habit (common among many French people, especially younger ones) of peppering their French with English terms, from “le JO-bashing” – criticism of the Olympics – to use of the English “challenges” rather than the French “defis”.

The 45,000 Games volunteers – who are coming from dozens of countries – are required only to speak either French or English and all information for volunteers has been provided in both languages.

Paris local officials are also happy to use languages other than French and the extra signage that is going up in the city’s public transport system to help people find their way to Games venues is printed in French, English and Spanish.

Meanwhile public transport employees have been issued with an instant translation app, so that they can help visitors in multiple languages.

In short, visitors who don’t speak French shouldn’t worry too much – just remember to say bonjour.

Official language  

So why is French an official language of the Olympics? Well that’s easy – the modern Games were the invention of a Frenchman, the aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin, in the late 19th century.

Some of his views – for example that an Olympics with women would be “impractical, uninteresting (and) unaesthetic” – have thankfully been consigned to the dustbin of history, but his influence remains in the language.

The International Olympic Committee now has two official languages – English and French.

Official communications from the IOC are done in both languages and announcements and speeches at the Games (for example during medal ceremonies) are usually done in English, French and the language of the host nation, if that language is neither English nor French.

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