Revue de presse des hebdomadaires français: 20 apr 2025 n° 1

The above audio sample and transcription is from RFI’s Revue de Presse Hebdomaires Français 20 Apr 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.

le but

Not really the lighter side from this week, but enough of a positive to merit mention in this series.

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The snippet in English

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Translated with Deepl.

What does “le conclave ” mean?

Le conclave originally refers to the secret meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope in the Catholic Church.

Le conclave a commencé après la démission du pape.
(The conclave began after the pope’s resignation.)

Conclave literally comes from Latin cum clave (with a key), meaning locked in—because the cardinals are sequestered until they make a decision.

In broader, more figurative French usage, un conclave can also refer to any secretive, closed-door meeting where important decisions are made:

Les ministres se sont réunis en conclave pour discuter de la crise.
(The ministers met behind closed doors to discuss the crisis.)

In modern French, using conclave outside religion often adds a touch of irony or criticism, suggesting that the meeting is opaque, exclusive, or full of hidden negotiations.

What does “l’hebdomadaire” mean?

L’hebdomadaire means the weekly and refers to a magazine or newspaper that is published once a week.

J’achète l’hebdomadaire tous les samedis.
(I buy the weekly magazine every Saturday.)

It can also refer to the publication itself:
Le Point est un hebdomadaire français.
(Le Point is a French weekly magazine.)

Culturally, un hebdomadaire usually implies a more serious, analytical type of press, compared to daily newspapers (un quotidien) or monthly magazines (un mensuel). It carries a rhythm of weekly reflection and deeper reporting.

What does “avoir enfermé” mean?

Avoir enfermé is the past tense (passé composé) of enfermer, meaning to have locked up, to have shut in, or to have confined.

Ils ont avoir enfermé le chien dans la maison.
(They locked the dog inside the house.)

Elle dit qu’on l’a avoir enfermé sans raison.
(She says they locked her up without reason.)

Enfermer usually implies putting something or someone in a closed space, often against their will, or at least limiting freedom. It can be used literally (locking in a room, cell, house) or figuratively (feeling trapped emotionally, socially, etc.).

In spoken French, you’d simply say ils ont enfermé, elle a enfermé, without explicitly saying avoir before enfermé. The form avoir enfermé itself would typically appear inside a larger structure when talking about the verb (après avoir enfermé, avoir enfermé quelqu’un, etc.).

Example:
Après avoir enfermé les documents, il est parti.
(After locking up the documents, he left.)

In short, avoir enfermé = to have confined or locked up, either literally or metaphorically.

What does “une trentaine” mean?

Une trentaine works just like a dozen in English, but it means about thirty.

Une trentaine de personnes étaient présentes.
(Around thirty people were present.)

Il a une trentaine d’années.
(He’s about thirty years old.)

It’s a rough, informal way to express an approximate quantity, not an exact number. The structure is very flexible in French—you can do the same with other numbers:

Une dizaine (about ten)
Une vingtaine (about twenty)
Une quarantaine (about forty)
Une centaine (about one hundred)

Culturally, using -aine forms like trentaine sounds natural, fluid, and typically French for giving rounded estimates without sounding overly precise.

What does “patrons d’ONG” mean?

Patrons d’ONG means heads of NGOs or directors of NGOs.

Patrons is the plural of patron, which usually means boss or head of an organization or business.
ONG stands for organisation non gouvernementale (non-governmental organization).

Les patrons d’ONG ont exprimé leurs inquiétudes lors de la conférence.
(The heads of NGOs expressed their concerns during the conference.)

In this context, patrons d’ONG refers to people leading nonprofit organizations, often involved in humanitarian aid, development, human rights, or environmental work. It sounds neutral to slightly formal, and depending on tone, it can either carry respect (for serious international work) or slight suspicion (especially if NGOs are seen as political players).

What does “la société civile” mean?

La société civile means civil society and refers to all the organizations, groups, and individuals who act independently of the government and businesses in public life.

La société civile joue un rôle essentiel dans la démocratie.
(Civil society plays an essential role in democracy.)

Les représentants de la société civile ont été invités au débat.
(Representatives of civil society were invited to the debate.)

It includes NGOs, associations, unions, activist groups, and sometimes simply engaged citizens. In political language, la société civile often represents the voice of the people outside formal power structures, and is seen as a force for advocacy, change, and accountability.

Culturally, French public discourse often contrasts l’État (the state) with la société civile, highlighting the idea that democracy needs both government authority and active independent participation to function well.

What does “le but” mean?

What does “” mean?

Le but means the goal, the aim, or the purpose.

Le but de ce projet est de réduire les émissions de carbone.
(The goal of this project is to reduce carbon emissions.)

Quel est le but de ta visite ?
(What is the purpose of your visit?)

In sports, un but also means a goal—the physical object or the point scored.
Il a marqué un but incroyable hier soir.
(He scored an incredible goal last night.)

Culturally, le but is a very flexible and common word used in personal, professional, educational, and sports contexts, always referring to what someone is trying to achieve or reach.

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