Salut!

Macron and Trump: two in the eye for the wicked media

One I made earlier (at G20 in Hamburg)

The National kindly allows me to reproduce my articles. Here is a comment piece which appears today as I prepare to leave Macron-land for Brexitland ...

When Donald Trump uses the disproportionately influential medium of Twitter to sidestep the media for important pronouncements, much of the world sneers, sensing the US president is diminishing statesmanship.

But another western leader takes a more respectful view. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, sees merit in Mr Trump’s wish to address the citizens of his country directly.

From chanson française - Brassens, Brel, Ferré - to Jain and Imany

The little Salut! empire likes to keep things broadly in boxes. That translates as not too much here about Sunderland AFC or the folk stuff at Salut! Live, and hardly ever anything about poor, neglected Salut! North.

But I know some people who come here quite regularly have a soft spot for chanson Française, whether in its old-fashioned form (Aznavour, Distel, Trenet) or relatively modern refinements (for example Gainsbourg and Biolay). Some of you even like Johnny Hallyday (actually, so do I on selected items).