French press review 26 September 2012

A symbolic number of unemployed, how to reduce the French prison population and how to find a nanny for your toddlers…These are the three very different topics in today’s French dailies.

“The shock of three million job seekers,” headlines the conservative Le Figaro. It calls the staggering number of the unemployed a “psychological threshold” which confirms the “impotence” of the French politicians to tackle the mass unemployment.

In its editorial, the daily exhorts the government to stop what it calls “three decades of blindness”.

Left-leaning Libération reports on the government’s intention to reduce the population of French prisons.

Inmate population exceeds capacity by almost 9 000, the paper says. Socialist Justice Minister Christiane Taubira has decided to take some drastic measures to reduce these numbers.

The lead article says that she has asked public prosecutors across the country to press for prison terms only “as a last resort”. But can the Socialists really improve the destiny of the inmates and put their money where their mouth is? asks the editor.

If Justice Minister Christiane Taubira fails, the left's entire prison policy will discredited ... and for a long time.

SOS Mary Poppins! Aujourd’hui en France reports a massive shortage of nannies. And, as usual, the daily gives some tips on how to find a suitable carer for your kids.

• First, find a student in need of some additional income. Luckily for would-be employers most students are poor so there shouldn’t be much problem there. I wonder whether parents would prefer a student nanny with a scientific or a literary background.

• Second, why not granny? According to the report it is a major trend these days. Grandparents are a youngish lot and, since they retired early, they need to earn some extra money. Interestingly, not only do grandparents take care of their own grandkids but they also work for specialised agencies, which in turn charge a hefty 11 euros an hour fee for the services of an experienced grandparent.

• A third way to find a nanny, suggested by the paper, is rather unexpected. Why not try “family dating”? Tthis unusual practice of families meeting together in order to join forces and hire a  nanny jointly is on the rise. In case you are interested, family dating sessions are coming up in 70 cities across France, says the article.