PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, May 12: As France records its first hantavirus case, the government says it is following health guidelines "to a tee". In Britain, the press echoes calls by MPs for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, but he is staying put for the moment. The Cannes Film Festival opens with one difference this year: the absence of a major Hollywood film. Plus, the Guardian tells us that this summer's aesthetic is all about the "hot divorcee"! The French government has announced strict measures after the first hantavirus case was detected in the country. The health crisis is dominating the French front pages. L'Humanité, Le Parisien and La Croix all headline on the government's measures. France is on "high alert" after one confirmed case. Four other French citizens who were on board the HV Hondius cruise ship are for the moment not infected and in good health. As Libération explains, the French government has taken strict measures, including isolating the five passengers at Paris's Bichat hospital. French health authorities are "following to a tee" the World Health Organization's recommendations. While there are several confirmed cases of hantavirus, no cases have been confirmed in people who were not aboard the cruise ship. The Daily Telegraph explains that this means the virus has not spread beyond the confines of the ship. However, long incubation periods mean it is impossible to know whether passengers have passed on the virus. According to one doctor's calculation, this crucial date could be May 19. The Covid-19 pandemic is unsurprisingly very much at the forefront of our minds – it's only been six years, after all – and this is reflected in the French press. Huffington Post says "this is not Covid" on the front of its website while Sud Ouest, a French regional paper, says: "This time France is preparing itself, coordinating and reassuring the public." In Britain, Keir Starmer's future is hanging by a thread. Monday's headlines were all about the embattled premier and it is the same this Tuesday. He gave a speech to MPs on Monday in which he vowed not to walk away as leader after Labour's drubbing in local elections last week. His speech failed to impress, since the message from the British dailies is: "Starmer has to go." The I notes that over 70 MPs have joined a mutiny that calls on Starmer to go in what is an open revolt against the prime minister. His would-be replacements are also preparing their challenges. One frontrunner could be Wes Streeting, the current health minister. As The Sun's columnist Clemmie Moodie notes, Streeting grew up on a council estate and so he knows how much a pint of milk costs (with needing an aide to tell him!). As a cancer survivor, he also understands the NHS first hand. Moodie adds: "He swears, he drinks and he watches 'Strictly Coming Dancing'!" Streeting is "palatable", with genuine ideas, she says. The "champagne socialist" could be Labour's only hope of keeping far-right leader Nigel Farage out of power. The Cannes Film Festival begins this Tuesday and this year's edition will be marked by the absence of a major Hollywood film. Politics, timing and studios' wariness over the risks of a film being ripped apart by festival critics could explain this absence. The Guardian says this year's competition sees a return to the past – with international auteur-driven films, for which Cannes first became famous. Behind the glitter of the red carpet though, a revolt is brewing against French billionaire Vincent Bolloré, a man with close ties to the far right. Libération headlines on French cinema's "counter-attack": around 600 cinema professionals, including Juliette Binoche, have signed a letter, warning against the dangers of Bolloré's control. Finally, the Guardian tells us that the "hot divorcee" may well be this summer's aspirational muse! If you kept up with trends, 2024's summer was all about the clean vibe hot girl summer. Last year was quite the opposite – the messy brat girl. This year's aesthetic muse could be the "hot divorcee". It's defined by showing that you've made an effort and owning it. It's high glam. It's about flaunting your "divorcee nonchalance". That's why the hot divorcee doesn't even have to be divorced – it's a vibe defined by "big hats, hot sex and don't-care energy!" You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.
