The Art Newspaper likes Nicolas Sarkozy’s choice of Arts Minister in Francois Mitterand’s nephew, Frederic, but it is not clear that the recent efforts to reform France’s laws governing auction houses will continue the momentum to return Paris to the center of the art trade:

The appointment this summer of Frédéric Mitterrand—TV showman, film producer, writer, gay activist and nephew of the last socialist president, François Mitterrand—as the new minister for culture has been greeted with enthusiasm by French cultural groups. […]

“It’s the first time that we’ve had a minister of culture on the front page of the newspapers since Jack Lang,” agreed art dealer Georges-Philippe Vallois. “It’s very good news as it means that culture is back in business. The bad news is that I don’t think [visual] art will be a priority. France’s culture ministry tends to be more sensitive to the performing arts. But the fact that Frédéric Mitterrand has a brother, Jean-Gabriel Mitterrand, who is a gallerist [of JGM Galerie], might sensitise him.” […]

Meanwhile, his role now is to steer through Sarkozy’s Grand Paris project: the Valley of the Arts, an idea spearheaded by the cinema entrepreneur Marin Karmitz. It is intended to connect all museums in the west of Paris, such as the Palais de Tokyo and the Musée d’Art Moderne, with auction houses and theatres. “There’s something here to make Paris the capital of art again,” says Karmitz. “

Positive Reactions to New French Minister for Culture (The Art Newspaper)