Revue de presse des hebdomadaires français: 8 juin 2025

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The above audio sample and transcription is from RFI’s Revue de Presse Hebdomaires Français 8 June 2025 Episode. We do not own this content, nor do we pretend to. The above is for educational purposes only. Find the full text and audio here or on Google Podcasts or Apple Podcasts.

se félicite-t-il

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The snippet in English

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Translated with Deepl.

What does “le dirigeant” mean?

Le dirigeant means the leader or the person in charge—used for someone who runs or manages an organization, company, or country.

Example: Le dirigeant de l’entreprise a annoncé sa démission
(The company’s leader announced his resignation)

It comes from the verb diriger (to lead, to direct). It’s neutral and can refer to political leaders (les dirigeants européens), business executives (un dirigeant d’entreprise), or group heads.

What does “tente” mean?

Tente means tries—the third person singular form of tenter, which means to try, to attempt, or to take a chance.

Le journal tente de faire réagir les lecteurs (The newspaper tries to provoke a reaction from readers).

It’s formal and often used in writing, journalism, or analysis.

There is also tente (noun) meaning tent, as in camping: Ils dorment sous une tente (They sleep in a tent). The two words are homonyms—they look and sound the same but come from different roots.

In France, both meanings are common in daily language. In Quebec, tenter is sometimes replaced by essayer in casual speech, but tenter remains more formal or literary. In Francophone Africa, tenter is widely used in writing and formal contexts.

What does “estime” mean?

Estime means believes, considers, or values—the third person singular form of estimer.

Il estime que la décision est injuste (He believes the decision is unfair).

It’s used to express judgment, opinion, or evaluation, often in formal or journalistic contexts. In news writing: estime introduces someone’s position without confirming it as fact.

Le dirigeant estime ne pas avoir de leçon à recevoir (The leader claims he has no lesson to learn).

It’s similar to affirme but with a slightly softer, more evaluative tone. Estimer can also mean to value or respect.

Il estime beaucoup son collègue (He greatly respects his colleague).

In France, both meanings are widely used, especially in politics and media. In Quebec and Francophone Africa, the journalistic use is common in formal writing, while the sense of respect/value appears more in personal or social contexts. Both meanings come from Latin aestimare (to evaluate), which links judgment, opinion, and worth.

What does “il n’y en a jamais eu autant se félicite-t-il” mean?

Two parts:

Il n’y en a jamais eu autant → There have never been so many
se félicite-t-il → he says with satisfaction / he congratulates himself

Se féliciter doesn’t mean to congratulate someone else, but rather to express pride or satisfaction in oneself or a result. This is a formal, journalistic inversion—the verb comes first (se félicite-t-il) instead of the usual il se félicite. This keeps the tone polished and indirect.

The -t-il construction is used in inverted questions or formal reporting when a verb ends in a vowel and the subject is il, elle, or on—to make pronunciation smooth and clear.

Cultural note: In France, this structure is typical of news articles, often used to quote officials without sounding overly direct or emotional. In Quebec and Francophone Africa, the same phrase might appear in formal news or political commentary, though a more direct il se réjouit may be used in speech.

if you see [statement], se félicite-t-il, it’s reporting that he’s pleased with what he just said—often something he takes credit for.

What does “aires marines” mean?

Aires means areas or zones—a flexible word used to describe defined physical or conceptual spaces. It’s feminine plural of aire.

Common uses:

Des aires marines protégées (marine protected areas) → zones in the sea set aside for conservation
Une aire de jeux (a playground) → a space set aside for playing
Une aire de repos (a rest stop) → a designated stop area on the motorway
Une aire d’influence (an area of influence) → metaphorical space (used in geopolitics, economics)

Aire comes from Latin area, meaning open space. It always implies a defined, assigned, or functional space—natural, built, or symbolic.

What does “un moratoire” mean?

Un moratoire means a moratorium—a formal suspension or delay of an action, often used in politics, law, or environmental policy.

Le gouvernement a annoncé un moratoire sur la pêche industrielle (The government announced a moratorium on industrial fishing)

It refers to an official pause in something potentially harmful or controversial, usually while further decisions are being made.

What does “d’exploitation des grands fonds marins” mean?

D’exploitation des grands fonds marins means on the exploitation of the deep seabed or on deep-sea mining—referring to the use or extraction of resources from the ocean floor.

– exploitation = use, development, or extraction (usually of natural resources)
– grands fonds marins = deep seabed, the deep parts of the ocean floor

Un moratoire d’exploitation des grands fonds marins (A moratorium on deep-sea resource extraction)

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