France-Europe

International Herald Tribune : No Champagne for Sarkozy - By Katrin Bennhold
So far the promised break with the past - abolishing the 35-hour work week, for example, or making it significantly easier for companies to hire and fire - has not occurred. If Sarkozy has done more than his critics say and more than his immediate predecessors did, he also has done far less than he promised."He raised expectations in France and abroad," said Cohen. "People thought: if anyone can change France, this guy can. Today people are no longer sure." [ ... ]
It's not only the unions and the opposition Socialist Party that have vowed to resist changes still in the pipeline. Ever since a clear defeat in local elections in March, Sarkozy's own center-right party has become less eager for unpopular measures.Slowing growth and rising inflation have complicated Sarkozy's call for change. [ ... ]
A weaker economy has also pushed up the government's already substantial budget deficit, leaving little room to buy off anti-reform protests.

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Business Week : Corn-based fuel isn't the villain critics contend, but shifting to other crops is critical - by John Carey
Ethanol is taking a tumble. Once hyped as a magic brew for reducing both oil addiction and global warming, alcohol made from corn kernels is now being accused both of triggering a global food crisis and doing more ecological harm than good. Ethanol critics, ranging from environmental groups to pig farmers facing high feed prices, blame mandates from Washington and Brussels stating that billions of gallons of fuel must come from ethanol or other plant-based fuels. [ ... ]
American farmers grew a record 13.1 billion bushels of corn on 85 million acres. Of that, 22% went to make about 7 billion gallons of ethanol. That still left enough corn to supply the domestic market, increase exports to record levels, and stockpile a 10% surplus. McKinsey principal Bill Caesar estimates farmers will be able to keep increasing corn-based ethanol production to 15 billion gallons in 2015 (a level of output mandated by federal policy) without reducing the amount going for food and feed, and without increasing acres planted. The secret: continuing improvements in yields.

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Le Temps (Genève) : «Un héritage culturel ne réclame ni don préalable ni testateur»
En définitive, qu'est-ce que l'Europe doit à l'islam? – Elle ne lui doit rien. Un héritage culturel ne réclame pas de don préalable, ni de testateur. La circulation des savoirs se fait par appropriation volontaire. Il y a quelquefois des échanges et des réciprocités. Plus souvent des porosités. Au minimum, des contacts, qui peuvent être conflictuels. La religion ne produit pas la science. Bien heureux quand elle ne l'empêche pas. [ ... ]
On ne peut donc pas parler des racines grecques de l'Europe chrétienne? – Le président Sarkozy le fait.... Ces filiations revendiquées sont des mythes fondateurs, permettant, comme dans un roman familial, la construction d'une identité collective. Cela n'a rien à voir avec la circulation réelle des savoirs ou des textes. L'image des racines vient d'ailleurs. Par exemple des débats sur le Préambule de la défunte Constitution européenne et des «racines chrétiennes de l'Europe». C'est une image à usage polémique, qui va de pair avec la déploration par Benoît XVI dans le Discours de Ratisbonne de la «déshellénisation du christianisme» entamée par la Réforme.

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