Report From France

[Theme Music] [Theme Music continues] Report from France. A monthly review of French politics, culture, science, and technology. [music] I'm Ray Billings in Paris. In this edition of Report from France, expelled Iranians return to France after hunger strikes. Paul Volcker speaks out on the US economy. France's presidential election's only three months away. New legislation on the way for French nationality. The Arab world institute is opened in Paris. With French help, Europe seeks its cultural identity. A nuclear arms agreement between Washington and Moscow leave some European officials in doubt. Jerry Lewis helps the French fight muscular dystrophy in children. The expulsion of 15 Iranian opponents of the Ayatollah's regime from France last December, provoked widespread criticism of the center right government in Paris. The expulsions to Gabon in Africa were linked by

observers to the freeing of two French hostages from Lebanon, and raised questions: Was a secret deal struck between Pairs and Tehran? The dramatic turnaround came less than a month later. The government of Premier Jacques Chirac worked out an agreement with the Iranian mujahideen leader Rajavi permitting seven of the Iranians to return to France and eight others went to Spain. Hunger strikes by the Iranians and their sympathizers prove to be a weapon the Paris government could not disregard. Chirac said the decision to allow their return to France was taken for humanitarian reasons. Former Iranian president Banisadr, now living in exile near Paris, insists the Iranians made no promise to hold their political fire while here in France. [Banisadr] What we have agreed is the accord which has been signed by Mr. ?Abiscenti? and Mr. ?Fondreault?, and nothing else. Two of the legal and political activities which is right of anybody who is staying in France and nothing more. [Reporter] And

so the saga of volatile relations between France and Iran produced its latest twist, leaving us wondering what next? With all eyes on the dollar, former fed chairman Paul Volcker said in Paris recently any further drop in the value of the greenback would present more disadvantages than advantages, like higher interest rates and less investment in the United States. Volcker was upbeat about the US trade balance. [Volcker] We have had months and months of improvement in real exports. And I think that is particularly significant when that increase in exports is taking place in a world economy that is not expanding very vigorously. So I think we begin to accumulate some evidence that at these levels of exchange rates, and with Japan and other countries expanding more rapidly, there is some hope for, and more than hope, some expectation of at least a gradual improvement of the state balance. That will be an important factor in maintaining confidence. [Reporter] Volcker mentioned a few measures he would take if he were president,

like raising taxes. [Volcker] I say increase taxes, I don't think we will, and probably shouldn't increase income taxes, but I think there are some taxes, some kind of excise taxes for instance, that have to be looked at if we're not willing to do more on reducing expenditures. One possibility is increasing the gasoline tax, for instance, we are still rather low by world standards. [Reporter] According to the former fed chairman, floating exchange rates are a cause of aggravated instability and imbalances. France's presidential elections are about three months away and there's only one major candidate: center-right Premier Jacques Chirac. The other potential contenders like incumbent President Francois Mitterand and former premier Raymond Barre are not showing their cards. The 71 year old Mitterand still remains way ahead of his rivals in the polls. Chirac, the champion of privatization of French industry can point to reasonable results fighting inflation, unemployment, and crime. But the much-vaunted privatization program came stuck when the

stock markets collapsed last October. The political embarrassment for Chirac changing his mind after expelling 15 Iranian opponents of the ayatollah's regime from France in December could cost him valuable points in the polls. If incumbent socialist president Mitterand runs for another seven-year term he looks like a shoo-in. But it's even money, whether he wants to grow old in office like his American counterpart. To be French, or not to be French, that's the question French legislators are trying to answer. French Premier Jacques Chirac received a report from a commission of experts recently, setting out conditions for foreigners qualifying for French nationality. Many of those living in France and seeking French nationality are from North Africa. One of the commission's members, Professor Berthold Goldman, spells out some of the ways to ease the nationality headache in France. [Goldman] For children born in France, whose parents are foreigners not born in France, to put [inaudible] we should be enabled, according to our report, as soon as

he is 16 years, without any authorization of his or her parents, to, very simply, in a very simple way, as simple as possible, just when coming to ask an identity card or such paper, to state that he or she wants to exercise effectively their rights to be French nationals. [Reporter] Military service in the French forces, a special commission says, should automatically assure French nationality. But certain crimes like drug trafficking or terrorist activities can put an end to chances of getting French nationality. The Arab World Institute in Paris opened its doors of the public recently. The idea to build the institute in the French capital goes back to 1974 and then-president Valery Giscard d'Estaing at a time when the west's eyes were focused on the Arab world because of the oil crisis. Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the building

stirred up much controversy, seen by some as a marvel and others as a monstrosity. The director of the Arab World Institute, former French Ambassador Paul ?Carton? explains why it was built. [?Carton?] The purpose of the Arab World Institute in France is to promote in the largest public possible, the knowledge of Arab culture and Arab history from the beginning to our days so that this public will feel closer to the Arab world as he will know better his culture, his past, his civilization, and what this culture and civilization has brought to western civilization in the past, for centuries. [Reporter] The communications director for the Arab World Institute in

Paris, Sylvie ?Pelissier? explains what's inside. [?Pelissier?] All things inside of this building belongs from the institute and others are coming from the Louvre. In the Louvre they have great Arab-Islamic collections, and they'll give us some of the prestigious collections. In this building you have the first part of the museum. We have four levels and from the beginning of Arab art to the eighteenth century and you have a lot of ceramics and things like that, science, and a lot of objects from Islamic civilizations, and the last part of the museum is about new paintings, paintings in Arab countries from 1960 to today. [Reporter] The Arab World Institute in Paris features paintings by Arab artists from Iran, Syria, Egypt, and Tunisia. A festival of Arab cinema, along with an exhibition of traditional Palestinian costumes and oriental carpets, and even some of the most beautiful pages from the Koran, lent by the National Library in

Paris are on display. The 12-nation European community is moving toward a completely tariff-free trading bloc. In 1992 the European community member countries are scheduled to sign the so-called Single European Act demolishing frontiers for their exports and imports inside Europe. Among other visible signs of the western European community in the true sense of the word is the burgundy red European passport for all 350 million inhabitants. So once again, France took to the forefront recently, initiating a major conference in Paris of European intellectuals pondering Europe's new cultural identity. For leading French historian Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, Europe's identity is made up of numerous regional voices, with France playing a central role. [Ladurie] Geographically, it's the central role. For linguistically it may be different, English is really the world language, but in terms of geography of Europe, Paris is the center, possibly more than London. I know that we have those very fast trains all the way to Geneva, Basel, are to some extent

suburbs of Paris. And to the north over the channel, London would become a kind of suburb of Paris. Paris may become an English-speaking city, but Paris will probably be more central to Europe than London, and I think the French should become aware of it and take advantage of it. I'm sure there are proportionally many more Frenchmen speaking English than English or American people who speak French, but it is true that French culture is one of the greatest world cultures, like Italian culture or English culture, so it was very normal that the French tried to maintain their cultural monopoly for a long time. [Reporter] Leading French historian Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie. Stretching from Ireland down to Italy from France across to Greece, at last the European community can boast its catching up on the United States with its own melting pot. The agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate medium range nuclear missiles left more than a few experts and statesman concerned about Europe's defense. Addressing the French parliament's defense commission in Paris, former US secretary

of state Henry Kissinger called on western European countries to organize themselves rapidly to play a larger defense role as one imperative. [Kissinger] It is even more imperative that the Atlantic alliance agree on the next steps in arms control, or else it will be nibbled to death on one side by those who want to withdraw tactical nuclear weapons from the center of Europe, and on the other, the next step in strategic reductions, which will inevitably lead to a demand that Britain and France in the minimum modify their strategic forces. [Reporter] Henry Kissinger. Former French president Giscard d'Estaing was not happy Europe was left out of the discussions between Washington and Moscow on elimination of missiles. [Giscard d'Estaing] I would have much preferred that there would have been an active participation of European countries, and I think the success for the west would be different now if the feeling on the world perception

whether there would have been a western solidarity concerning the agreement, I think that the perception would be better and safer. [Reporter] A superpower carve-up did not appeal to former french foreign minister Michel Jobert. [Jobert] You have two superpowers divides the world powers between them. Maybe ?Maggie? has a special understanding with ?Ronnie?, it's a good thing of course, but I'm not sure that is a fundamental point for Europe. [Reporter] Statesmen commenting on European defense after the nuclear arms treaty between the US and the Soviet Union. One of the most popular American comedians in the eyes of the French is Jerry Lewis. When Jerry appears in France, the crowds flock to see him. But when Jerry Lewis appeared on the recent telethon on French television, he was not joking. It was part of a massive campaign to gather funds to help beat muscular dystrophy in children. [Lewis] The important thing is that we get the French television to accept the fact that we can get the French people's

hearts to open up to these children that are theirs, that's the big issue, we're not concerned with how much money. [Reporter] Jerry's performance was not all about money but he has collected huge sums to fight the disease during the past 38 years. [Lewis] I raised 40 million dollars in one night. Including the Crawford money we raised 100 million dollars. And in the last 38 years we have just passed the 1 billion dollar mark. Which is probably what I'm more proud of than anything I've done. [Reporter] American comedian Jerry Lewis in Paris helping the French get their act together. I'm Ray Billings in Paris. Report From France was produced by Radio France International. [outro music] [music] [music] [music]