French Minister Confident UK’s Future Lies In EU
Amid widespread reports that Britain was gradually easing out of European Union obligations and might block the next proposed EU budget, European Affairs Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told some twenty five of us over breakfast Nov. 13 that intense efforts were underway to resolve critical issues with London in anticipation of the key EU summit meeting Nov. 22-23. He urged an agreement at the…
An American In Paris Probes The French Psyche
AAPA member Harriet Welty Rochefort, author of "French Toast" and "French Fried", continues her probing into the French way of life with her third book on the subject: "Joie de Vivre: Secrets of Wining, Dining, and Romancing Like the French" (St. Martin's Press, Oct. 2012). Analyzing the various forms that French expressions of joie de vivre take, she comes up with a few theories of her own. For…
UNESCO Leader Appeals For US To Resume Funding
UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova highlighted her organization's financial plight when she met with a dozen AAPA members at a breakfast meeting at UNESCO headquarters on October 11. "UNESCO needs all our members," she said, calling it "unfair that UNESCO is caught in the Middle East conflict" over a US law requiring a halt to payments to international organizations that admit Palestine…
Former ECB Chief Discusses Euro Zone's Woes
Governments of the euro zone that are struggling to prevent the euro crisis developing into a full-blown depression are navigating in uncharted waters, Jean-Claude Trichet told the AAPA on June 27. The former head of the European Central Bank told two dozen AAPA members that the euro zone has successfully weathered three crises since the Lehman Brothers collapse sparked a financial maelstrom in…
Euro Zone's Leaden Feet Frustrate Britain's Envoy
British Ambassador Peter Ricketts sipped Earl Grey tea with two dozen AAPA members over breakfast at the top of the Paris Thomson Reuters building, displaying his diplomatic knack for giving very little away and only letting the genteel demeanor slip briefly while expressing Britain’s frustration with the slowness of euro zone leaders to come up with a convincing solution to the debt…
The 2012 Gala: Raining down good cheer
Rain or shine, the Anglo-American Press Association’s Annual Gala is one of the year’s highlights. This year it was definitely rain. But the inclement weather dampened no spirits.
This year…
An Evening with Guy Wyser-Pratte
We were twenty-odd members and guests, and with a "terrorist" in our midst at John Morris' loft on the evening of June 11th. The "terrorist" label for Guy Wyser-Pratte came from a French financial journal that called him an ex-marine qui terrorize nos patrons. Wyser-Pratte, who has been called other names, including corporate raider, in his forty years of shareholder activism, did not…
Meeting with Khadija al-Salami
On May 10, AAPA members were treated to a viewing of Yememi filmmaker Khadija al-Salami's "Amina,'' followed by a thoughtful discussion about the current situation in Yemen and the Middle East. The event was hosted by AAPA President John Keating at his apartment. Ms. al-Salami, who lives in Paris, is considered to be the first female filmmaker & producer in Yemen. Originally…
Lazard Chief Gives AAPA Members His Take On France, Europe
Lazard France CEO Matthieu Pigasse cut a smooth figure as he strode into Lazard’s boardroom for a breakfast meeting with some 20 AAPA members on April 30. His slim, pin striped suit and relaxed, open-shirt look were a surprising contrast to the somber portraits on the walls of the men who have run this venerable advisory and asset management firm for the last century and a half. At…
Longuet Briefs AAPA On Defense Issues
In another first for the AAPA, our members met with Defense Minister Gerard Longuet for breakfast at the ministry on the rue Saint Dominique on April 6. Questions covered a broad range, from the…