Paris:- Saturday, 25. January 1997:- As important as it was, the big news of the week was not President Jacques Chirac's 'speech to the nation' on TV last Monday to announce judicial reform; reform largely dealing with 'Who's On Top of the Justice Pyramid' - 'reforms' likely to take five years. This story only made page 18 in Tuesday's Le Parisien.

After a Friday ceremony, the president of the republic made page five of today's Le Parisien, by conferring on 'The Rocker of the Nation,' Johnny Hallyday, the 'Croix de Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur.'

It was certainly an occasion to remember - to see Johnny Hallyday on Friday's TV-news, whose real offstage name is Jean-Philippe Smet, at the Elysées Palace in a somber suit with a Dior label instead of his usual motorcycle jacket and designer jeans, getting two air-kisses from the President.

Johnny was at the palace for the ceremony with his wife Laeticia. Other spectators and well-wishers included Jean-Paul Belmondo, Régine, Carlos, Line Renaud, Charles Pasqua and Elie Wiesel - the last two probably there to witness other awards being given other worthy people.

Johnny seemed somewhat stunned at the double embrace by the president and he later said, "C'est vrai, on se tutoie en privé," according to Le Parisien's report. Before the ceremony, President Chirac complimented him for his tie - a 'Léonard' chosen especially for the occasion by Laeticia - by saying it was a privilege to see him wearing one.

Although Johnny has made some movies in the past years, usually playing a detective on a motorcycle with a huge .44 Magnum revolver - it was a pleasure to see him on TV in a movie Thursday night - by pure chance. He played a young bad guy in the classic 1967 cops-and-robbers Italian-French production 'A Tout Casser,' with Eddie Constantine as the good guy. For some unknown reason the TV-Guide rated the movie 'no stars,' which I don't understand because Eddie Constantine was a very big Europe-wide movie hero in those 'Dolce Vita' days.

I saw Eddie once at a press party near the Champs-Elysées and he seemed more affable and laid-back in person than he ever did onscreen; expect perhaps for his role in 'Alphaville.'

Le Parisien is Looking for Jobs

The reason President Jacques Chirac landed on page 18 in Tuesday's Le Parisien is because the paper printed 'work wanted' classified ads on the first 17 pages. The action was continued in Wednesday's editions and the number of ads over the two days totalled 6,000.

Tuesday's cover headline said, "Bosses; 6,000 Readers are Addressing You.' The paper did not charge for the ads - they donated the typesetting, ink, paper and distribution 'out of solidarity' for the unemployed - and reminded readers that they decided to do this because unemployment is a tragedy as well as a priority ahead of all others.

I do not follow the circulation 'wars' in Paris and I do not know how many titles there are nor how many papers are sold daily, but Le Parisien claims a readership of well over a million. I read the paper because it has local news; the good the bad and the ugly, and if it leans one way or the other, it is towards populism. Also, it only costs four francs eighty.

Bernard Tapie is Too Busy to Go to Jail

A court of appeals in Douai has said once and for all that the industrialist Bernard Tapie must go to jail, while it thinks about the appeal of his conviction on charges of corruption and interfering with witnesses - for which he has been sentenced to two years, with 16 months suspended, leaving eight months of hard-time.

Mr. Tapie's lawyers are pleading for his remaing free while the appeals court makes up its mind; saying that he hasn't yet missed a court date, and he has had a lot of them lately.

Apparently an unknown US company wants to hire Mr. Tapie as a 'consultant.' He has also recently taken up acting in movies, and one is planned to shoot in the near future - called 'Fifi Martingale.' There is another film in the works as well as a TV-series. In addition he has a contract with a book publisher to describe the very 'affair' for which he has been condemned, and the manuscript is due in four months.

The wardens at both the jail in Douai and the Santé in Paris have been alerted to expect Mr Tapie on Monday, 3. February. Mr. Tapie has a choice of jails: in the district where he was convicted, or in the district where the appeals court sits. But once inside, he stays there until the appeals court makes up its mind. If the appeal is rejected, he is then nailed to where he is.