France marches on

Before replying to the lively to-and-fro on my last posting, here for those outside France is a dispatch from the front: On one side, the troops have scented blood and are spoiling for war.  On the other, the generals have vowed to stand firm but retreated to their tent worried about enemy strength and a monarch with no stomach for battle.

That sums up the state of play in the latest French psychodrame after the opponents of the Government's employment law proved their power in the streets over the weekend. The affair has now gone beyond a protest over a law and entered the domain of the irrational. There seems little prospect that the protesters will heed the call today from Renaud Dutreuil, Minister for Small and Medium Size Businesses, to "come to their senses and back to earth"

Dominique de Villepin, the very model of a Napoleonic general, has dug in for what he still believes will be his Austerlitz. He did manage a little self-criticism today, regretting that his "method may have caused misunderstanding".  Carried away with excitement, some trade unions and student leaders are threatening to stop the country with a general strike. Polls now show opinion about 60 percent in favour of abandoning the youth jobs scheme altogether and a survey for Liberation found that 71 percent of the French believe that the country is now in "a deep social crisis which may grow in coming weeks."

So how does the plot unwind ? There is no shortage of scenarios since the ritual has been enacted so many times in recent decades. The media and internet cover creates a sense of acceleration. Protesters,  politicians and pundits are busy reviewing the show well before the curtain has come down. For example, Bernard Henri-Lévy, the glamorous thinker, says that history has repeated the 1968 uprising as farce. 

The street usually wins, as it did in the autumn of 1995 when the last general strikes forced Alain Juppé, President Chirac's first Prime Minister, to abandon attempts to reform the economy.

De Villepin is hoping that the protest will "turn rotten" (pourrie), that its various factions fall out and lose steam and that France's silent majority will impose itself. He will offer to tinker with the job law. He can afford to do no more than that without losing face. Chirac will have to intervene in some way, but it is not yet clear how he can defuse the crisis without disowning his own Prime Minister.

Juppé is remembered for one quote. He famously vowed to stay droit dans mes bottes (upright in my boots) just before caving in. From his exile as a university teacher in Montreal, Juppé today offered his own insight into the present revival of the 1995 show, noting in his blog: "I feel great worry and great humility at the same time. Worry because I see that our country needs deep reform; I do not believe that it is in decline, but it is going through a crisis that is economic, social and moral at the same time. It has to adapt to the changes in the world if it wants to pull itself out. Immobility is its worst enemy."

There is perhaps a difference between 2006 and 1995. Listening and watching the opposition, you can feel something more desperate. It is a form of conscious denial. This time, most people know that France cannot hold out forever against reality (apologies to those readers who will see this is a patronising Anglo-Saxon swipe). You could hear it from the marchers on Saturday, many of them middle-class parents accompanying teenage protesters. Many said that they were appalled at the way the state was "sacrificing" the young, but they also said they understood that France needed to break out of its blocage. On Sunday, Le Monde, bible of the left-thinking establishment, set out what sounded like the case for de Villepin's CPE law, citing the flight of 300,000 French citizens to London "because there it is not forbidden to be a success." But then it attacked the law because it was aimed only at the young, giving them the impression that the country was singling them out for mistreatment.

In other words, there is a feeling that the case for revolt is not as clear-cut as the slogans make out. We are also beginning to hear the stirrings of dissent from the consensus against the CPE that is purveyed by docile media. (The sympathetic television cover of Saturday's marches gave the impression that the whole of France was out defending the rights the young.)  Some students are now organising themselves against the occupation of their universities -- although may still oppose the jobs law -- and people are beginning to telephone into radio shows to complain that they are only hearing anti-CPE propaganda.

Which brings me to the comments.  I am grateful to Sarah, Robert Marchenoir, John Flinn, Victor Tan, Peter Carrington, John Hornsby and others who have amplified my arguments and brought up some good points. It is also good see French readers like Jupiter and Christophe weighing in with broad agreement, demonstrating that views on the spring revolt are something more than the ancestral distaste of perfidious Albion for France. And to Stef, who supposes that we censor opinion, we don't. (The moderation enables us to edit rare offensive or irrelevant comment. Almost all is published in full).

Stef and Adel are perfectly entitled to make the charge that my prattle shows ignorance of France and "Anglo-Saxon" prejudice, but with respect, the points they make rather prove the supposed Anglo-Saxon case. "There is no need to look for some irrational fear of change," says Stef. "We  le peuple just fight back when we are attacked. Why do you the Anglo-Saxon people not do the same ?" Perhaps it is because other countries don't feel that they are under attack from a globalising economy. It is a pity, though inevitable I suppose, to reduce the debate to the old Anglo-Saxons versus the French feud. France's latest revolt is being observed in pretty much the same way all over the rest of Europe.

Comments

[Jess]

I'm even more convinced today, after reading a lot of comment in France about the riots, that France is still a decade away from facing facts and making changes. If anything, the slow breakdown of their economy and society is forcing people into a more and more entrenched conservative mindset. Even genteel Britain, with its abhorrence of violent politics, had to endure a convulsive and painful social revolution to shake off 25 years of dead-end socialism. And we forget how narrow was our escape: had it not been for the electoral boost Margaret Thatcher received from the Falklands War, her government's painful 'last chance' policies to turn the tide of unemployment and stagflation may well have been rejected by the electorate – dooming the UK to a third world future. Too few Frenchmen have realised how high the stakes in this battle are. Unless they wake up soon, I fear the fate that awaits them.

[Le Noan]

I completely agree. France is in despair. I think there are two things to learn from these protests:

1) Anything is now a good reason for violent protests. France is going through a deep political crisis. Remember 2002 (presidential election)? 2004 (government loosing elections)? 2005 (EU referendum)? November 2005 (riots)? And now... These students dont want to compromise at all. Moreover, they want the universities to be closed, to be able to "fight for their rights"! French politics are getting more and more conflictual

2) What do these students want? (and i can tell, im a French student). It seems they do not want take any risk in life! They dream of a all life job. It is really terrible to see all these 20 y old kid who simply do not want to take a single risk in their life! French society is scared of everything. The "Etat providence", this State that takes care of everything from birth to death, is a kind of soft Big Brother. There is no more initiative in this country.

It is really sad.
What is going to happen next? I do not know. I m worried. And when I hear the left asking for more money (even if the country is brankrupt) i think we are not going to be better...

[Sandrine]

"Students are now organising themselves against the occupation of their universities"

You should clarify, saying that most of those students are against the occupation of their universities AND against the CPE. Yes, it's possible.

Concerning the whole thing, I personnally think that the government won't do anything, until the demonstrations stop. And then, the law will come into effect as soon as possible, D. De Villepin will be the great winner, the people who demonstrated and those who thought the same without yelling it in the streets of France, will feel more depressed.
Nothing new in France.

There's something I'd like to add : please, we (the French) recognize that this country desperatly needs to be reformed, but you should all know, that even if it's necessary, you cannot expect people to smile and be happy when they feel that "tout fout l'camp !" (sorry I don't know how to translate it). [It translates as "everything's going to the dogs" CB]

[Pedro]

As a British student here in France for the year I am able to see the inside workings of this so called revolution. The media portrays the university Blocus as an unanimous act in the name of solidarity, but it ignores the fact that if you look beyond the catchy sound bytes of "Mai 68" slogans you will find plenty of student opposition to these strikes. In my particular university the law department's Blocus only passed by a 79 vote majority. Many students feel as if their right not to strike is being portrayed as the very worse incarnation of liberal capitalism, both by those who have a socialist chip on their shoulders or those who just see this as a lark and a welcome 3 week break in their studies.
The debate is one sided and manipulative. There has been no credible opposition or rational discussion. It is patronising the way in which university students are led in to striking with no clue as to what they are striking about. Those who dissent are ignored by the media coverage and it is their right to an education which is suffering.

[Strohl]

21.3.2006

It is very interesting to read foreign commentaries about what happens in France. This of course is the case of "The Times" papers.

Unfortunately, very few Frenchmen are able to read a foreign newspaper, even in a language as (relatively) simple as English, since teaching of foreign languages is still rather primitive and undervalued in our country; the "thinking heads" of our "Ministère de l'Education Nationale" - or a least the Unions, mostly leftist, which are more or less in command - seem still to be convinced that French is "the" universal language that everybody should learn and speak ...

Therefore, it is quite easy for the leftist unions and media to propagate biased commentaries and reportings which remain unchallenged by neutral opinions (as far as I am concerned, I have no problems whatsoever with the "perfide Albion")...

Best regards

Daniel

[Victor Tan]

Communism had not worked for China for decades. Then, Deng Xaopeng, its leader experimented with capitalism in a controlled fashion in order to increase food production to feed its population of 1 billion, then. The USSR of old broke up, and today, the Russian Federation holds elections, and practises capitalism of sorts.

The only true Marxist states left today are North Korea and Cuba. Have these Leftist thought of decamping to live there? I rest my case.

[Sarah]

It's interesting the way the opponents of the CPE are fixated by the aspect of job precarity inherent in the CPE rather than the prospect of its opening up many more jobs. A case of the glass being half empty and a hopelessly polarized negative attitude.
We can just look on in wonder at all these young people who want to walk into a safe job at 20 and leave it 40years later with a cushy pension. What happended to risk taking, impetuousity, trial, experimenting, or mobility? Didn't young people use to arrive in the workplace with itchy feet, keen to taste life through a series of experiences until they found the one that fit? French youth seem to view their lives from the opposite angle. Their life experiences are obtained outside the workplace which serves only to finance their greater desires, hence the attraction of being a fonctionnaire. Odd, most odd.

[marc de berner]

The whole stituation in France has become very sad for every one...
Since the 2002 election it has been possible feel the fear of the future in the air..
One answer would be for Jacques Chirac to step down early and lets choose a new president.Of course this would never happeen as he doesn't have that sort of courage, he'll just continue to hide behind de Villepin

[Jean Jacques]

Being unemployed in France for a long time as I am, despite being well experimented, well educated (MBA, masters in marketing and accounting) is "the common law" for more and more people.
I don't think that the CPE law (a special contract for less 26 years old people) is an efficient solution. You have to know that France generates very few new jobs (less than 50.000 in 2005) despite the "baby boomer effect".
In some words, France is loosing more and more jobs in more and more areas: industries, retail and services, etc.
For example, the internet business in France is dominated by "traditional" players such as the national railroad public company (SNCF) but no new big company emerged here from the digital mutation.
From my point of view, it's a very significant fact.
Young people in France know that they have very few alternatives to get a job: 1/ First, becoming a public agent
2/ Secund, working abroad
And we have to be realistic: there is no reason to wait for a better situation during the next years.
Best regards,
Jean-Jacques Paris

[Peter Carrington]

I listened last night to a telephone discussion between my (French Parisian) partner and her daughter. My partner was vehemently denouncing the CPE, her daughter defending it. The two positions were roughly ‘better a precarious job than no job’ verses ‘First-timers should not be made to accept worse terms of employment than those already in work’.

Its not just love or family diplomacy that makes me say that both are right. France has an undeniable employment problem that, as you pointed out in today’s piece, falls disproportionately on the young. A program that gives them a better chance at getting a job is worth investing in even if that job is more precarious than they would like. Against this it is quite unreasonable to make first-timers alone carry the burden of ‘précarité’.

At the heart of the issue of ‘précarité’ is the perceived holly grail of a ‘normal’ CDI. My partner, who has had a CDI for more than 20 years, is arguing that all should have them. Her daughter, who has spent the five years since she left university on vacation jobs, work experience, etc and who has finally, this year, got her first CDD, regards a CDI with the provisions of the CPE as better than anything she has been able to achieve so far.

The real problem is that the CDI is every employee’s objective and every employer’s nightmare. The difficulties that the basic CDI poses for managers and employers are well documented and genuine. It makes both hiring and firing hard, expensive and risky. Something to be avoided at all costs.

Faced with this employers have, over recent years, developed tactical solutions. They don’t hire even when they need workers but seek other solutions; they add to the workload of existing employees; they replace people with equipment even if quality and service are reduced as a consequence; they resort to excessive and abusive use of ‘work experience’ contracts and phoney CDD’s.

If the solutions they adopt to the hiring problem are at times unfair and unethical the solutions they all to often adopt to the firing problems are downright dishonest. Redefining job scope, changing reporting relationships, negative performance reviews and outright harassment are all used to get employees to resign rather than be fired. And if that doesn’t work managers will regulaly seek to minimise the cost of firing by generating dubious evidence of grounds for dismissal.

Don’t underestimate the scale and consequences of such activity. Spend any length of time with a group of French employees or employers and all will have horror stories to tell, look at the hugely increased activity of the employment tribunals or workplace inspectorate or ask a French GP how many or his patients’ are suffering from workplace stress and you will see that such tactics are widespread in companies large and small and in both the public and the private sectors.

Against this background it is not irrational that support for reform is so lukewarm. A majority clearly feel that reform will lead to more freedom for employers and mangers to act in unfair and dishonest ways. Of course the counterargument that reform would remove the pressure on managers to behave badly and create a environment where companies would have to compete to attract good employees is perfectly valid but conflicts with what people are actually experiencing.

I guess the bottom line is this. The CPE won’t make much difference to anything one way or another. If it stays it may help a few more youngsters get jobs but it will not address the real issues. If it goes some will celebrate and some will mourn, none will be any better off. Labour law reform awaits it time, mechanism and man. Spring 2006, the CPE and Dominique de Villepin are none of these.

[Victor Tan]

Linde, a German industrial icon recently tookover BOC (British Oxygen) the largest British industrial gas company for £8 billion. The German CEO, Wolfgang Reitzle said "On the day this deal is completed, English becomes our official language, and it will be used everywhere."

The recognition in these days and age, internationally, English is the language of trade and commerce. Now, this is what I call progressive action.

[Sue A]

Isn't the problem here that the students are being taught throughout their school lives by those very people who believe and belong to the union, who still believe in one job for life and who believe in maintaining the status quo at all costs?

It's no wonder these students are hopelessly negative about change and the idea that you might, one day, work for more than just one company. And, indeed, that working for more than one organisation might in actual fact be of benefit, might expand one's experience and outlook.

Unfortunately the French students of today will probably not be able to work and compete (sorry - a dirty word!) in a global marketplace because they will be ill-equiped to do it.

[Robert Marchenoir]

Peter Carrington has a point: dishonesty is widespread in France. Nobody trusts anybody, and deceiving tactics are commonplace among people of any social standing.

[john gregory Flinn]

Why is it unreasonable to make the young carry the burden of 'precarite'?
Since they are likely to change jobs more often it seems eminently sensible to loosen up the laws in this area first.
My experience as an employer is that young people tend to change jobs more often, having fewer ties and a eye on the social aspect of employment. And not just in Britain.
Also, as I understand the CPE was designed for the urban jobseekers who are not necessarily looking for careers.

[Peter Athey]

Victor Tan; before I moved to France in the late 70's, I had been working in Scandinavia for a major engineering company with subsidiaries around the world. The company policy was that all employees must speak and write in English. Swedish engineers talked to other swedish engineers in English, even in Sweden. All documents, memos, brochures and manuals were to be systematically written in English. It was basically a cost saving measure.

I was asked to come to France because the parent company had difficulties communicating with its French employees. I found that the overall level of english was extremely low - almost primary school basic except for a few people who had studied or worked overseas. One of the engineers with whom I worked said that at High school then Prépa' and finally Grande Ecole where he'd studied engineering, 50% of his course work was mathematics with only 2hrs of English a week. He said that in the 'future' business climate (any time after 1979) they would have to inverse these proportions.

I found that the French called English - 'la langue de Shakespeare': a very cultural icon and given the 1000 year antagonism between England and France, they were not in a hurry to learn it. Then, at the beginning of the 1980's, with Globalisation picking up speed, the French establishment suddenly realised that English was more than just a perfidious import but was a tangible tool they could use to talk to the Germans, the Spanish or anyone they wanted to do business with. This removed it from the realms of creeping anglo-saxon colonialism (to be fought against) and pushed it onto a level with mathematics that is universal and therefore to be embraced.

In the intervening 25 years I have seen the top and middle layers of French Business (at least in Paris) learn and use English to such fluency that the improvement is orders of magnitude better than when I first arrived.

In my own business - an SME/SMB - I have seen most companies within the banking sector, and others such as L'OREAL, Lafarge etc adopt english as their standard language in conferences and congresses.

My conclusion is that whereas it was vital for small nations like Holland and the Scandinavian countries to learn English if they wished to survive economically, France had a long and rightly proud history and felt that they would be abandoning their birthright by simply adopting english and giving in to an anglo-saxon world view where they would be at a disadvantage given that english was not their first language.

I frequently quote the old saw when hearing others critize the French ability to speak languages:

What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual
What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual
What do you call someone who speaks only one language? English!

[Victor Tan]

Peter Athey, thank you for a most enlightening blog. Every country should be proud of its language and culture. My contention was that in this globalised age, English is the language for trade and commerce.

I am fully aware of the importance of learning languages. Personally, I have two working languages, English and Malay, and I speak four languages, besides the above, Chinese; four dialects, and French (poorly) I am the product of the English educational system which, even till today, scarcely encourage the teaching of other languages properly in schools.

I am proud to say that both our girls attend French schools since the age of three. They are naturally bilingual, the older is now at the lycee in South Kensington. We are very fortunate in London to enjoy such facilities, courtesy of the French government.

My constant contributions to these columns reflect my interest and frustrations at seeing a great nation stuck in the abyss, cowering, unable to find its way out of its predicament. It can happen, and it will happen one day when France regains its power and pride again.

[Drémilog]

What is it with this fear of being perceived as an Anglo Saxon sniper?

It's just pandering to the reactionaries on the French left who brandish the term as a synonym for a world they fear and a totem for their own revival.

Unless I missed the irony.

France is facing home truths, whoever points them out. You don't need to be a slavering francophobe Sun reader to take note.

Whoever in the French commentariat coined this convenient epithet to describe a loose affiliation of English speakers should have trademarked it. There's a job for life.

[Delaunay Marc]

Good afternoon.

As it is interesting to listen to foreign commentaries about france, I should also bring some balance. It is not true to say that french work rights are rigid. They are just amazingly complicated. And in my opinion, they're mostly unfair : 2 workers out of three have a deep protection, that's true. But the one left is completely out of it. And he is mostly a young people, graduated or not.

So that movement is not be compared to "Mai 68". The subject here is nothing less than the possibility to make a living nowdays in France when you're 20 or 30 y old. Which is not easy at all. That makes youth protests very different and serious.

To end, concerning the supposed fear of risk in France, it is a political fantasm. What I fear the most is silliness and centralised power, which is the major trademark of french political leaders. More than laws, France needs dialogue, not authority. Of which Villepin is a caricatural exemple.

I'm hopeful, general elections next year will change the deal. Because we cannot go on like this. Be patient, France will be back...

(and I hear again that french people do not speak foreign languages. Read again commentaries from french people on this blog !)

Thank you to avoid caricature, it is easy in times of trouble. And joyful I imagine, regarding to french famous "arrogance". But I don't think it helps.

Marc (27 y old frenchman who loves England for real)

[Jupiter]

I agree with Jean-Jacques' observations about the forms of employment in France and with Peter Carrington about the deviousness practised to get round the pernicious idealism of labour laws in France-if I followed the bylines correctly.
J-J makes a fundamental point:to set yourself up as an independent and you risk losing everything because enterprise and initiative is penalized from the start, despite what the quasi- governmental agencies say. L'URSSAF and the various other mechanisms see to that very efficiently (about the only thing they do efficiently). To avoid charges and impossible committments employers of all sorts use vacataire/intérimaire contracts, cash and informal arrangements not only to avoid paying charges but also to avoid the plain and horrid hassle.I have a friend who employed an assistant with a CDI and it has nearly broken him. The assistant earns a paltry 9.50e an hour but the rate my artisan friend has to shell out is about 27e an hour, because of charges and obligatory insurance. The harder my friend worked the more he was in trouble. Eventually he asked his assistant to resign and he would then pay him through a mairie based oddjob scheme (common in France). If the assistant had not understood the gravity of the situation he would have refused (he isn't French) but he did, and he resigned and continues to work for our friend. Otherwise the whole business would have collapsed. It took huge amounts of worry and energy to find a way through- I wouldn't go so far to say resolve- the situation. And it's guaranteed that it is aonly atemporary fix. The poor French people learn to live with this tyranny of incompetence and even see it as normal. All these great employment schemes are devised by people who have but a passing knowledge of the realities, who have probably never worked in a remotely competitive environment and who are often entrenched ideologically. I could go on.

Victor Tan, I don't know who you are, and I now know a little about your life, but everything you've written is for me is so kind, honest and appropriate that I marvel!

[Sarah]

I work with a guy who gave up being self-employed because he was having to make, in FF, 50,000 per month in order to earn the SMIC (basic pay, 6,000FF). He was working on Sundays to do his paperwork and the shop was open 6 days a week. He even had a paper delivery round in the early hours to make ends meet.
Now, he has a 35-hr week, earns 150% what he earned before and enjoys his weekends with his kids. No headaches, no stress, no URSSAF.
How can this be right? Social payments are ludicrously high for small businesses and their one hope of easing their workload intermittantly with a CPE is being sabotaged by student thugs.

[sandrine]

Hi!! I'm French and i've really enjoyed reading foreign comments as it gives me a view of what people (who are outside the country )believe regarding this worrying situation.That's the first time i meet such situation. i am at the university of Nanterre and i haven't attended class for over 3 weeks!!do you think it is reasonable when we know that exams are forthcoming; I don't think so. Nonetheless, I stongly oppose to the CPE as it seems to give too much power to bosses, Indeed, they will be free to hire and dismiss when they want.That's a shame..I really hope that the situation will improve;And as i have read this problem can only be solved by dialogue and no violence..
best regards

[Claude]

Cher Français, Here is my point of view on your behaviour... I am exhausted of about your blindness, you’re ability to ignore the reality of your market, of the world. Currently there are no discussions, only oppositions! Why is France governed by minorities. Minority like students unions, some left wing extremists, unfair with other students who want to work. They are recruiting teenagers in order to have more people on the street. I wish We could ask to all these persons on strike, what is in the new law? Who is concerned? Do they know that it’s one more tool for them against unemployement? Do they know that everyone is not concerned about it and that it’s mainly for unqualified persons? Do they know what is written in this law : employers will have to prevent at least 15 days before being firing a CPE person, by a letter and at least one months before for someone having worked in CPE for more than 6 months. Minority like national unions (CGT, FO, etc.), mainly public workers, owner of a job for life and who are not concerned by the discussion because it a law for the private sector. How can it be possible that the negociations were with these national unions and without students!!! Unbelievable! Why is the left wing so unresponsible? Like for the European constitution, at the beginning French were in favor. But as soon as the came in the discussion, French (so weak in their mind!) believed their extremist words. After such words, such provocation how can French believe in politics? And why this behavior? Because in 2007 will hold the presidential elections. One of the problem of France is that people doubt on everything coming from politics. Many people believe that left wing policies will cost a lot to the country and that right wing policies are driven by industry, money owners, company owner and against employees. Politics could be so interesting and there are some many thing to say, and to do in France. React! be responsible! look how the world is moving so fast and how you are staying at the same place, without even looking in front of you but back... stop being stupid in discussions, open your mind. Change your representatives, your old representatives who have failed in their job, who were weak in front of extremists, who just thought at their elections. Stop being afraid of changes!!! Change is an opportunity to have something better! not something worst! React! React! React!

[Clementine]

It is unfortunate how most foreign commentators/journalists seem to be lost when it comes to explaining why people refuse the CPE contract in the context of the French job market. It doesn't seem strange to me that the students are protesting: they shouldn't be the only part of the population to bear the burden of flexibility! There is no reason why only people over 35 can have the security of jobs with a CDI (contract when you can hardlyt get fired). Plus, it is very likely that the CPE will affect mostly unskilled/unqualified workers while the so called "priviledged" students (as the anglo-saxon media call them) will keep struggling with unpaid internships that lead nowhere. The CPE very much seems like a half-measure to me and I believe a reform of the CDI is also needed. It is true, however, that a lot of young people (regardless of left or right) refuse to ackowldge the changes in our society, the increasing need for flexibility, and still see companies as evil people who will take advantage of them.
I talk about it here on my blog, you are welcome to comment: http://francoamericanviews.blogspot.com/