La France gained its 101st departement a few days ago, when the population of Mayotte voted overwhelmingly to change from a collectivité d'outre-mer to a fully fledged departement. In fact, officially it doesn't happen until 2011, but the news was received here with underwhelming apathy. Which is a little surprising, given that it will cost the French tax payer, and that the Indian Ocean island's population is mostly Muslim (the Arab League has already rejected the French 'occupation' of the island). Mayotte is part of the Comoros Islands, but when the rest of the archipelago declared independence in 1974, Mayotte voted to remain French.
Elsewhere in le metropole, la crise continues, discontent still rumbles and Monsieur le Président did his usual grandstanding at the G20, exaggerating differences before the meeting so that he could claim victory afterwards. Meanwhile the spotlight is now on Strasbourg where the NATO meeting is taking place. France fully rejoining NATA has not been universally welcomed here, where some still cling to the notion of complete independence from the 'imperialist' US, and now the city in Alsace has been described as being under siege for the past week. Car parks, public services and some autoroutes are closed, and public transport restricted and strictly controlled. The local population is only allowed into the city if in possession of a resident's badge, and can only park their cars out of town.
Not surprisingly les Strasbourgeois are complaining vociferously. One of the local newspapers advises its readers not to fall ill because pharmacies can't be stocked, nurses and doctors can't visit, and hospitals are being reserved for NATO dignitaries, the forces of law and order, and... demonstrators. The anarchists are in town and there had already been over 300 arrests before any heads of state had even arrived...
