Rima Abdul Malak
Image: AFP
Do France and Germany get along? French Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak on tensions in Franco-German relations and the faltering restitution of African cultural assets. An interview.
It is said that you often exchange poems with the French President. Is that correct?
As an adviser to President Macron, I have made it a habit to send a poem every morning to my colleagues and superiors at the Elysée Palace. I read a lot and wanted to give my hard working colleagues a little treat, a minute of poetry. Sometimes I also sent the poems to the President. He reads a lot, especially poetry: René Char, Henri Michaux, Baudelaire. Especially at night.
The French President sometimes announces things in a bold manner rather than carrying them out. For example, the restitution of African cultural assets. Germany is now much further along than France.
