François Hollande delivers a Spice Girls' "positivity" New Year speech

It seems that François Hollande has taken a lesson in politics from the former British pop group the Spice Girls.

Well, that would appear to be the case after listening to the French president's message to the nation at the turn of the year.

François Hollande, New Year's speech 2015
(screenshot France 2)

And that "2015 charm offensive", as it has been called by the French media, continued with a two-hour radio interview and the traditional endless round of presidential New Year greetings.

During his nine-minute televised New Year message to the nation, Hollande recognised the problems France had encountered in 2014 and will likely have to face in 2015, all the time revealing himself to be upbeat - without saying anything that had any real substance to it.

He stressed the need to put an end to the "denigration and discouragement" that seemed to characterise the image of France at home and abroad, stressing the size of the country, its economic status, its international responsibilities, diplomacy et yadda, yadda, yadda...you can watch and listen to the whole nine minutes here.




The essence of Hollande's message?

Well, France and the French - had every reason to be proud and have confidence - even though 2015 was likely to be a(nother) difficult year and "France isn't about nostalgia, it's about hope."

"To move forward will require audacity and a rejection of the status quo," he said.

You see. Echoes of that 1997 hit "Spice up your life" n'est-ce pas?

"Smilin' and dancin', Everything is free All you need is positivity."

Take it away, Geri, Emma, Victoria, Melanie B, Melanie C and François...

Spicing up London 2012 Olympic closing ceremony

All right, so the whole thing was rather cheesy and definitely too long, but the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics had a few special moments.

And among them surely had to be the totally OTT but nonetheless electric performance by the Spice Girls.

Spice Girls London 2012 (screenshot from TF1)

Back together for a one-off, the five women who took Britain and the world by storm in the 90s with their manufactured "Girl Power" reminded everyone present and those watching of the contribution they had made to pop music when they were in their heyday.

It was as chaotic and almost as messy as the whole show orchestrated by artistic director Kim Gavin and designed to show off to the rest of the world the very best of British music - mainly pop but lip service was also paid to few other genres.

All in all though it was fun - as was the Spice Girls arrival and...er..."singing" from the rooftops of five separate London taxi cabs.

For anyone who missed it or wants to see it again and again, here's the clip - complete with French commentary - broadcast on TF1

Les Spice Girls sont de retour Vidéo jeux-olympiques sélectionnée dans Replay TV