‘Mathematics à la France’. On 30 September 1964, Swiss cartoonist Hans Geisen paints an ironic picture of the highly idiosyncratic view of Europe held by General de Gaulle, President of the French Republic. De Gaulle is portrayed as a teacher explaining the ‘Europe’ equation to his young pupils: ‘Europe = France + 1/2 Germany = de Gaulle’. In the front row, the German pupil dressed as the ‘little German Michel’ is following the lesson given by the French master.