https://www.proz.com/kudoz/french-to-english/government-politics/1494320-la-politique-de-la-petite-semaine.html
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formation sur le terrain (avec les agents de ....)
se dissoudre en marécage
Aug 10, 2006 11:43
18 yrs ago
French term

la politique de la petite semaine

French to English Other Government / Politics Le Monde article
Si les Européens ne parviennent pas à s’élever au-dessus de la politique de la petite semaine

I'm preparing a position paper and part of the preparatory information is an article from Le Monde.
The meaning is obvious but I was amusing myself as to how I would translate the above.
I know many people are on holiday but I would be interested to know how you would render this in English.
I could make this a "no points" question because personally I cannot see the point of points (!) but I won't, just in case it matters to some of you out there

Have fun - could be a great intellectual exercise
Chris
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 petty, amateur, dilettante
4 +1 short-term politics
4 political nit-picking
3 Band-aid policy

Discussion

writeaway Aug 10, 2006:
http://www.ifri.org/frontDispatcher/ifri/publications/articl...
CMJ_Trans (X) (asker) Aug 10, 2006:
whole thing Le Monde 20.7.2006, Analyse de Thierry de Montbrial, Académie Française : Nous n’avons point de politique industrielle digne de ce nom, point encore de politique énergétique….Ni les uns ni les autres, en France comme ailleurs, n’ont compris que la meilleure façon d’être fort ouverts sur l’extérieur est d’être forts à l’intérieur, il faut être unis, mais exigeants et compétitifs….Si les Européens ne parviennent pas à s’élever au-dessus de la politique de la petite semaine, les efforts de deux générations de grands entrepreneurs politiques se dissoudront en marécage.

Proposed translations

+3
28 mins
Selected

petty, amateur, dilettante

Some ideas. Not easy, with just those few words to go on since I think the expression could have a host of meanings, if only because we don't know for sure if we are talking politics, policy, or indeed polity.

he was also an elitist who disdained the sordid vulgarity of political allegiance and organisation, in favour of the dilettante politics of the salon, ...
www.fluxeuropa.com/ernstjuenger.htm

Their dalliances with rebel movements like the Sandinistas, circa 1980, smacked of showy dilettante politics. But they weren’t afraid to take risks, ...
warrenkinsella.com/words_articles_js.htm

civilisational backwardness of whole nations and dilettante politics of the ruling elites - I am afraid that this will last through decades. ...
mediafilter.org/Monitor/Mon.48.html

by the nationalist historian Henrich von Treitschke for corrupting the Germans with his "dilettante politics" and his tendency to criticise everything. ...
www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/printarticle.php?id=3468&catego...

interest in getting wrapped up more than I am in your sordid little world of university political finger pointing, dilettante politics and ego stroking. ...
makemcveighpay.blogspot.com/2006/06/showtime.html

reeks of establishment lawyer who dabbles in social - liberal dilettante politics and is actually a real conservative when it comes to ...
www.peopleforchange.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=22195&mo...


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Note added at 3 hrs (2006-08-10 14:51:38 GMT)
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With the fuller context (thanks Writeaway), I think you need a double adjective - SHORTSIGHTED, PAROCHIAL (or 'clochemerle' if you think it need refer more specifically to France) - to cover all the points in the previous paragraph.
Peer comment(s):
agree sarahl (X) : petty gets my vote.
4 mins
agree Dr Sue Levy (X)
3 hrs
agree Fiorsam : I don't think "petty" reflects the intention of the original - "dilettante" or "amateur" comes closer.
10 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "despite the digs, I think this would come closest - but it was purely academic in this particular case. Thanks to all"
+1
15 mins

short-term politics

ou encore "short-sighted politics", moins idiomatique que l'expression française, sans doute.
Peer comment(s):
agree Natasha Dupuy : I like short-sighted, meaning not looking far enough into the future - though I would probably use policy instead of politics
15 mins
Something went wrong...
1 hr

political nit-picking

Given the context, it seems logical to stress the petty divisions between political actors more than the time scale of their solutions.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

Band-aid policy

Meaning to find a short-term fix for something rather than a far-reaching solution... just another suggestion :)

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-08-10 13:12:59 GMT)
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Yeah, that's the term I was looking for... thanks :)
Note from asker:
quick-fix
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