Latest news with #Chirac
New York Times
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The President's Wife' Review: Would Madame Get Your Vote?
From 1995 to 2007, the conservative (if politically capricious) Jacques Chirac was the president of France. But, 'The President's Wife' isn't all that interested in Chirac, played as a clueless yet charismatic charlatan by Michel Vuillermoz. The first lady, Bernadette Chirac, gets the spotlight, with the French film icon Catherine Deneuve bringing glamour and droll gusto to the part. Spanning the years of Chirac's presidency, this low-key comedy by Léa Domenach tracks the evolution of Bernadette's public image from scorned spouse in kitschy-colored skirt suits to beloved girl-boss in modern Chanel threads. A Greek chorus of church singers and a disclaimer in the opening title cards tell us that this quasi-biopic is highly fictionalized. No, Bernadette didn't secretly meet with rival politicians in confessional booths or frequent nightclubs with pop stars to rally fund-raising for her children's hospital charity. The film takes creative leaps in scenes like these as part of its puckish approach to mythmaking. Though other seemingly absurd moments are ripped straight from the TV news archives, such as her visit with Hillary Clinton to a primary school in central France (Deneuve is transposed onto footage of that real-life encounter with the help of green-screen tech). Belittled by rivals and family members alike — including her daughter Claude (Sara Giraudeau), who is one of her father's advisers — Bernadette teams up with her chief of staff, Bernard Niquet (Denis Podalydès), to revamp her political career. The duo's scheming and easy rapport make up much of the film's brisk humor, which at times can be a bit too culturally specific to resonate fully with non-French viewers. And while Deneuve brings a wonderful blend of neuroses and feigned indifference to her character, the film's pop-feminist through line dulls the comedy, creating a more conventionally celebratory portrait.
Local France
06-02-2025
- Business
- Local France
France doubles tax on plane tickets
Flights leaving from France are set to get more expensive, with an increase in the taxes levied on plane tickets. France has now passed its 2025 Budget - after a lot of political wrangling - and among the many new measures announced is an extra tax on plane tickets. The cost of flight tickets in France has included a tax surcharge since 2005 - known as the "Chirac tax" after the former president Jacques Chirac, who introduced it. The taxe sur la solidarité des billets d'avion (TSBA), to give it its proper name, has been increased several times and currently stands at €2.63 per economy class ticket for flights within France and Europe and €18 per business or first class ticket. Under the 2025 Budget this will be more than doubled to €7.30 per standard class ticket on a flight within France or Europe. For destinations further afield the tax will rise to €15 per standard class ticket and for long haul flights - more than 5,500km - the tax for an economy class ticket will be €40. For business class tickets the new tax will be more substantial and will also depend on the type of plane and the distance travelled. For destinations in France and Europe the tax on a business class seat could be between €220 and €420, according to the site For long haul destinations the new tax could amount to be between €1,000 and €2,000. French lawmakers believe it will bring in around €800 million for state coffers. The budget airline Ryanair has threatened to axe flights over this tax increase. Speaking at a press conference in Portugal on Wednesday, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary repeated the threat, saying: "France is already a high-tax country and, therefore, if it further increases already high taxes, we will probably reduce our capacity' to and from French airports. "France is going against the tide," while other European countries are cutting aviation taxes, he said. The tax hike was first proposed in former prime minister Michel Barnier's budget, where it was proposed to increase it to €9.50 per ticket. Barnier's government fell in December, and with it his budget. However the Budget passed on Thursday under new prime minister François Bayrou sees a return of the tax, albeit at a slightly lower rate than originally planned. finance ministry clarified on Thursday.
