BACKGROUND
French President François Hollande on Monday called for a cabinet reshuffle, evicting from his government rebel leftist ministers who had argued for an economic policy U-turn away from budgetary rigor. The surprise move - which risks deepening the confrontation between Hollande and more left-wing lawmakers - came a day after outspoken Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg attacked euro zone powerhouse Germany for ruining the region's economy with what he called an "obsession" with economic austerity. Full story >>
THE CARTOON
The cartoon by Adams from the Daily Telegraph is composed of two frames. In the first, French President François Hollande is shown in close-up against the background of the French flag. He's holding a document titled 'Le Government' (the correct French word is 'gouvernement') and says (to the rebel leftist ministers, we assume), "Leave then! Partir!! I cast you away!". However, in the second frame, we discover that Hollande is standing alone on a desert island, and the French flag is in tatters (as are his clothes).
COMMENTARY
The 'joke' is that Hollande is the one who is isolated — his approval rating is at an all-time low of 17% and now key members of his own Socialist party are turning on him.
VOCABULARY
The cartoon features a play on the verb 'cast away'. Hollande uses it to mean 'I reject you', but 'cast away' is also used to describe someone being shipwrecked or abandoned on a desert island. • Would you be able to survive if you were cast away on a desert island?
