May 25, 2025 05:17 EDT
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| Dear FO° Reader, As you all know, on Sundays I like to work in the garden with my partner. Therefore, I am preparing this new version of the Sunday newsletter in advance. For some time already, attentive readers and loyal donors have asked our team to help them gain access to what people discuss in other countries, where other languages are spoken. So here we are. Let me begin with France, a country with a great, long, complicated history. Three defining debates have shaped the French public conversation this week — from political accountability to end-of-life ethics and geopolitical reckoning. The Bétharram scandal Over 200 former students of the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school have come forward with allegations of sexual and physical abuse spanning several decades. The scandal has gained national urgency as current Prime Minister François Bayrou, who was a local MP and former Minister of Education, is accused of having ignored or minimized the abuses. Moreover, an estimated 5 million children have been abused in the past four decades in various institutions. We can hardly believe this is a French peculiarity. A key point of contention is that Bayrou claimed he had acted promptly once informed in 1996. But victims and journalists have unearthed documents suggesting the abusive staff member remained in post years later. In the French press:
Fair Observer authors weigh in on French political culture:  The Triumph of Negative Democracy, AKA Electoral Nihilism
 Emmanuel Macron’s Embarrassing Hour of Reckoning
Assisted dying France is currently debating one of its most delicate legal reforms: the right to medically assisted dying. The proposed law, backed by President Emmanuel Macron, would allow terminally ill adults to request lethal medication under strict conditions, emphasizing autonomy and dignity. The debate is fierce, with strong opposition from religious groups, doctors and disability rights advocates. In the French press:
Fair Observer authors weigh in end-of-life ethics:  Should We Now Have the Right to Die?
 The Important Difference Between Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
De Villepin’s call for a european embargo on Israel Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin made headlines this week with a forceful speech urging the European Union to go beyond condemnation and impose a full embargo on Israel in response to the ongoing devastation in Gaza. His intervention stands out in a European context often marked by caution. In the French press:
Fair Observer authors weigh in on Europe and Israel:  Europe’s Reckoning: Genocide in Plain Sight, Diplomacy in Disguise
 Israel’s Surging War on the World
Each of these debates reflects deeper tensions in French society: how it reckons with its past, how it defines dignity and autonomy and how it asserts values on the international stage. Our goal is to bring you the French conversation, not just headlines filtered through English-speaking outlets. We invite you to explore the original French reporting — and we’ll be here to guide you through it. Wishing you a peaceful Sunday, Roberta Campani Communications and Outreach |
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