Being rude to the French president is no longer an offense after parliament agreed on Thursday to amend legislation dating back to 1881 in favor of freedom of speech. Whereas before any rude remark risked an automatic fine for “offending the head of state”, the president is now reduced to the same category as ministers and parliamentarians and would need to have a judge prove there had been slander or defamation. … The offense, which was introduced in 1881 under press freedom regulations (ironically), was punishable until the year 2000 by a jail sentence of between three months and one...
