Preparing for Brexit - the Irish Angle
With Brexit possibly going ahead on October 31, with or without a deal, the implications for Ireland are manifold and complicated. A high-ranking Irish diplomat sat down with AAPA members at the Irish Embassy for a background briefing on the latest progress in talks, the risks of a no-deal Brexit, the high stakes for Ireland, and some of the plans already in place to limit the chaos if Britain…
Women spies and how to write a best-seller
With an eye on D-Day stories and tips on how to write a best-selling novel, AAPA members had a wide-ranging exchange with Washington-based British novelist Jennifer Ryan. Ryan’s best-selling debut novel “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir” was about women in World War II, and she continued the theme in her second novel, published in June 2019, “The Spies of Shilling Lane”. She shared stories of women…
Europe Minister de Montchalin tells AAPA that France’s Brexit red lines stand
One of the newest and youngest members of the French government met the Anglo-American Press Association in late June to talk about some of the most important issues facing France and Europe. Amélie de Montchalin was appointed Secretary of State for European Affairs only three months earlier, taking over from Nathalie Loiseau who had quit the government to lead President Emmanuel Macron’s party…
Renault Chairman Talks Auto Alliances with AAPA
The future of the alliance between carmakers Renault and Nissan and Renault’s abortive attempt to link up with Fiat Chrysler were the main subjects discussed when Renault SA Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard met with a dozen AAPA members on July 18. Salvaging the Renault-Nissan alliance whose organization had descended into a “huge mess” under former Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is crucial…
SAFE HAVEN FOR JOURNALISTS - La Maison des Journalistes
Since its creation in 2002, La Maison des Journalistes has assisted almost 400 journalists from over 60 countries in the difficult task of starting a new life. This non-profit organization, the only one of its kind in the world, offers a safe haven to journalists who have had to flee their home countries due to oppression from authoritarian regimes. MDJ serves as a beacon for the defense of press…
Bruno Latour
"It is not a question of cognitive capacity, of comprehending facts, but rather sharing the same "territory". As reflected in the slogan: "My country, right or wrong"; to what or to whom are people loyal? We no longer share the same Land." Former Scientific Director of Sciences Po Media Lab, philosopher and anthropologist Bruno Latour, explained to AAPA members the basic premise of…
Will Madame Le Pen Make a Comeback?
The AAPA met with Rassemblement National head Marine Le Pen on Feb 15, 2019. The last time we saw France’s right wing figurehead two years ago she was running for president and riding high in the polls. Le Pen may have lost to Macron in May 2017, but she’s far from finished. As the French president struggles to regain his footing after the yellow vest uprising, Le Pen’s popularity is steadily…
Professor Webber discusses Europe's immediate problems
"Europe must show it can provide solutions to problems facing people today," INSEAD Political Science Professor Douglas Webber told the AAPA on March 12 at Cafe Falstaff. "It's not enough today just to keep the peace," he added, referring to one of the key pillars of European unity following WWII. Professor Webber spoke broadly about his recently-published book, European…
President's message for 2019
Dear Members, A short and somewhat belated note to wish you all a happy and prosperous new year. The AAPA is in full swing for 2019, having already brought you Delphine Horvilleur, one of France's three female rabbis whose new book on anti-Semitism has alas proved very timely, and Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader whose party is neck and neck in the polls with Emmanuel Macron's for the…
French anti-Semitism 'first sign of a national crisis', Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur tells AAPA
Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur of the Mouvement Libéral Juif de France told AAPA members of her own path to the rabbinate (she was ordained in New York because no French institution will ordain women rabbis), and discussed her new book, Réflexions sur la question antisémite, which examines anti-Semitism from the Bible to the present day. She emphasized that in France today the problem is coming from…