Probably idiomatic

[Pete Laubscher]

 

" ... au sommet européen Le gouvernement français a fait de la figuration."

 

This has appeared in an email in Le  Monde today, June 30 - expressed by M. Jean-Luc Mélenchon. It gives the impression of being tongie-in-cheek ironic. Is that a fair impression?

 

Could someone please translate the 'intention' behind the words?  I'd be most grateful.

 

Thnks.

[Christine]

He's saying that France only had a token role. I feel it's depreciating, but not necessarily ironic.

[Pete Laubscher]

Thnks Christine - so would you translate it something like this: '...played only a token (figurative) role?'

 

That  'a fait de la figuration' - an idiomatic expression? It's got me stumped.

[Neil Coffey]

Pete - it actually stems from a cinematic expression. As you're probably aware, the verb figurer means "to appear" as in e.g. figurer dans un film, "to appear in a film". And so an actor's figuration is their appearance/role/portrayal in a film (you'll see faire une figuration sometimes used).

And so by an extension, faire de la figuration generally means for an actor to "do work as an extra", "play bit parts".

Figuratively it is then used like this to mean that somebody is "just there to make up the numbers" or "just there for show", without playing a substantial role.

[Pete Laubscher]

 

Ah!  Superb. Thnks!!

 

Could it be translated as 'Just made an appearance', then?

[Neil Coffey]

Yes, sounds reasonable! (maybe more formally in a newspaper headline: "did little more than make an apperance").

[Pete Laubscher]

Yup, 'just'  is a bit chatty.

 

I've certainly learned and internalised 'faire de la figuration' with this discussion.

 

Great site Neil. Thnks again.

[Stephen Bishop]

Google translate gives me

EU summit, the French government made up the numbers

[Pete Laubscher]

Thnks Stephen - so would you translate it something like this: '...played only a token (figurative) role?'

That  'a fait de la figuration' - an idiomatic expression? It's got me stumped.

[Tatiana Popova]

There is such a translation:

faire de la figuration
n'avoir aucun rôle dans un groupe

So, I think the phrase above would mean that the French government had not made any important contribution during the summit ("had been of no importance" would be too strong in this case, I believe).

[Pete Laubscher]

 

That is a great help.  Thnks Tatiana!