This week we examined a new wave of the #MeToo movement that has taken hold in France, how centrist parties have made a determined shift to the right to try to hold on to power, dark chocolate secrets are revealed in Lyon and is Hungary acting as Russia's Trojan horse in Europe?
ARTICLES
After a sluggish start, #MeToo movements pick up steam in France
When the #MeToo movement took hold in France in October 2017, it freed women to come forward with stories of sexual harassment and abuse but had few consequences for their aggressors. In recent months, there has been a new wave of #MeToo allegations, this time with concrete results.
France to ban far-right group Generation Identity
French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government launched procedures to shut down Generation Identity as it attempts to tackle far-right extremism.
France touts military successes to win allies in G5 Sahel operations
Eight years after France launched a military operation in Mali, the mission has expanded while insecurity in the Sahel region has increased. But at the 2021 G5 Sahel summit this week, recent military achievements over the past year served as an incentive to continue operations and try to boost commitments from local governments and European allies.
WHO sees 17% drop in Covid-19 cases, but experts say variants pose new threats
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a 17 percent drop in new Covid-19 cases worldwide, a trend recorded in all six regions it monitors. But this hopeful statistic may mask incomplete data from smaller countries and a lack of understanding regarding new variants of the virus.
‘Macron helped advance the far right’: French centrist parties veer rightward to maintain power
A televised debate between France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Marine Le Pen, the leader of the right-wing National Rally party (formerly the National Front), promised to be lively. But what was unexpected were the ideas shared by a pair that is supposedly at odds politically. Sociologist Ugo Palheta discusses the shift in French political rhetoric that he says could lead the far right to power.
TV SHOWS ONLINE
ENCORE!
Culture vs Covid: The film world awaits the final credits on Covid-19
Encore! speaks to the award-winning, Chinese-born, New York-based filmmaker Nanfu Wang, who won the jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival two years ago for "One Child Nation". Her new film, "In the Same Breath", draws parallels between misinformation about the pandemic in China and America.
France's heritage sites fighting for survival
Encore! reports from one of Europe's greatest stately homes, the Domaine of Chantilly. An hour away from Paris, it's France's largest privately owned estate.
Celeste on her No. 1 debut album
Singer-songwriter Celeste, who despite all the challenges of last year was one of the breakout artists of 2020, has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and her first album "Not Your Muse" is just out.
YOU ARE HERE
Mouth-watering creations in Lyon, France's capital of chocolate
In the city of Lyon, France's chocolate and gastronomy capital, techniques are a well-kept secret. Philippe Bernachon shows us part of the process of making chocolate from cocoa beans. At the Voisin chocolate factory, we learn about how to make old-fashioned pralines from huge slabs of chocolate. Meanwhile, Willy Ferrier tells us about his unique work as a chocolate sculptor.
FOCUS
Is Hungary Russia's Trojan horse in Europe?
EU member state Hungary decided to go it alone and approve Chinese and Russian Covid-19 vaccines before Brussels did. The Hungarian government, accused by Brussels of breaking the bloc's rules by attacking the media and the rule of law, seems to be cozying up to Moscow in a whole range of areas.
PERSPECTIVE
Democratic freedoms crumble in face of Covid-19 pandemic
A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit on the state of democratic freedoms has downgraded France to a "flawed democracy" as civil liberties in rich and poor countries alike come under attack amid Covid-19 restrictions. Perspective discusses the delicate balancing act of protecting individual freedoms amid a global health crisis with the report's author, Joan Hoey.
Libya, 10 years on: Can the war-torn country finally turn the page?
Ten years after the Libyan revolution against Muammar Gaddafi and the power vacuum that ensued, Libya is often described as a failed state. A UN-brokered ceasefire between the two main warring sides was agreed in October and the interim government is set to hold elections at the end of this year. We discuss Libya's difficult path to peace with Wolfram Lacher, author of "Libya's Fragmentation".
DOWN TO EARTH
Circus animals: Life after stardom?
French circus workers are warning that a looming ban on the use of wild animals in travelling shows would see their industry brought to its knees. It also raises questions for their star performers: Today there are 700 wild animals in the country's circuses, including 500 big cats. What does their future look like after life on the stage?
