Another collection of news reports to show France is on the mend, back to her old self after having been savaged for 20 days last month by a "very special movement" of unidentified "youths". Today's sign of French normalcy: self-dealing.

PARIS HOTEL CARTEL OFFERS ROOM DISSERVICE, SAYS WATCHDOG

PARIS November 30, 2005 (Guardian) - France's competition watchdog on Monday imposed fines ranging from €55,000 to €248,000 on the half-dozen obscenely opulent and staggeringly expensive hotels known as the Palaces of Paris: the Bristol, Crillon, George V, Meurice, Plaza Athénée, and Ritz. ... The watchdog report...said the six hotels were a distinct, "oligopolistic" market and the exchange of information would falsify competition. ... In other words, operating a cartel. ... France can be pleased about one thing, however: 90% of clients were foreign.

FRENCH TOP MOBILE GROUPS FINED

PARIS December 1, 2005 (FT) - France’s three dominant mobile telephone operators – Orange France, SFR and Bouygues Télécom – were on Thursday fined a record €534m ($632m) for collusion.

MAVERICK FORMER MINISTER CONVICTED OF TAX FRAUD

PARIS December 8, 2005 (AFP) - Former French minister and business mogul Bernard Tapie was convicted of tax fraud by a Paris court Thursday and sentenced to eight months in jail. ... Tapie was accused of defrauding the finance ministry of some EUR 7.1 million in 1992 and 1993. ... He has one charge of fraudulently declaring bankruptcy still hanging over him.

PFFT (What is this?): La France normale 3 | Rayonnement français 0

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