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I have no doubt that this is precisely the sort of stuff his editors and readers (outside France) lap up, but it has led to a tabloidisation of the Times to a degree unthinkable some years ago.
But I think you do Charles' himself a dis-service. He does have a much more nuanced understanding of France and a good deal of credibility amongst the French journalistic community - being a regular interviewee on French media outlets where he is asked to present the outsiders perspective on France.
You have to admit that Sarkozy et al have given him enormous grist for the mill, and a somewhat mocking portrayal of his "reign" would be fair game in any other European Capital as well. You don't have to be anti-French to find that performance increasingly hilarious if not embarrassing.
I don't think Charles Bremner starts out from a position of prejudice against France, but like any astute journalist, he knows where his market is. There is a huge market in francophobia because France challenges the dominant narrative and many find that disconcerting. Equally, many French people are hugely self-critical of France, and if Bremner wasn't the Paris correspondent of the Times, his views would be unremarkable.
His experiences in Moscow have left him with an abiding mistrust of an authoritarian state, and if he were stationed (e.g. in the US) I'm sure you would find him equally mistrusting of many of the norms of US political and daily life.
It's no harm having a press which punctures a few balloons of the unctuous in political life, and Bremner does that as well as anyone. He also spends a lot of time moderating the comments of his readership which is more than can be said for almost any other Times journalist.
So maybe we should cut him some slack. He can't be held entirely responsible for the views of all of his regular bloggers - the odd one of which has followed us here! "It's a mystery to me - the game commences, For the usual fee - plus expenses, Confidential information - it's in my diary..."
I know, used to be a regular there too until it all became one cacophonious forum that made no sense. Like you got tired of reading the same tirades. Found that Charles Bremner was bginning to fal into the tabloid news/journalism category, i.e., any old topic could be rehashed so long as it becomes a hot story.
While I agree with you that Charles has " He does have a much more nuanced understanding of France and a good deal of credibility amongst the French journalistic community - being a regular interviewee on French media outlets where he is asked to present the outsiders perspective on France." -- these 'privileges' don't give him the license to incite the mob by continuing to feed them with slanted stories. Simple sense of responsibility.
I disagree with you though when you say that "I don't think Charles Bremner starts out from a position of prejudice against France,". The Brits DO HAVE an inbred hostility against the French, i.e., prejudice; don't believe Bremner is free of prejudice -- can very well believe he's toned down having lived in France but free of prejudices? Nope, can't believe that.
Frankly, I'm wont not to give him some slack but on second thought, why not (give him some slack)? After all criticising Bremner is not my bread and butter whereas, like you said, Bremner is as an astute journalist; he needs to write negative stories about France and to continue feeding the frenzied Francophobic mob because he's got to bring home the bacon.
What a way to make a living, eh?
