The street sees off de Villepin

Back from a dip into today's mass march against Dominique de Villepin's now defunct scheme for getting the young French into jobs. The mood was more mardi gras than manifestation as tens of thousands of kids -- teenage lycéens and university students -- gathered with the unions under spring sun in the Place de La République.

They were there not so much to fight the Government as to celebrate the strange surrender performed by President Chirac last weekend.  The fifth "national mobilisation" against de Villepin's law was probably the last and the protesters were determined to ram home their message of defiance. The air was thick with the fumes of merguez sausages, French fries and rock music. Dancers and jugglers mingled with the demo regulars from the public sector. A truck-born band struck up a jazz salsa and the march was off down the Boulevard du Temple towards the Bastille and on to the Place d'Italie on the Left Bank. Stores and cafes on the route were closed, some boarded up for fear of attack, but there was little sign -- so far -- of the violent wreckers from the outer housing estates who have visited recent marches. 

The festive atmosphere, fuelled by youth and springtime, added to the unreality of the revolt. This sea of people was celebrating the defeat not of tyranny or a threat to liberty but of a measure -- albeit bungled -- to curb France's scandalous unemployment rate among the young. One big banner illustrated the confused logic of the 2006 mutiny: Le Chomage n'est pas une solution (Unemployment is not a solution).

Nicolas Sarkozy, the Cabinet's number two, and parliamentarians start negotiating a neutered employment law with the unions and students tomorrow and that should be the end of it -- bar a little more shouting. With the students' Easter vacation starting at the weekend and exams on the horizon, today's boisterous but ultimately rather sad manif may be the last hurrah of the season.

Comments

[Ian Veitch]

I note in your news story today you use the word "surrender" when describing Chirac.

Don't know if you know it and you do it on purpose, but the use of that word in conjunction with the French never fails to provide us Simpson-loving-Francophobes just a little bit of pleasure every time we hear it....

[Chris Gillibrand]

And with the end of the marching season, we can wave goodbye to any hope of reform in France. The French stumble at a modest reform when wholesale reform is needed. Sarkozy after all, once on a time, portrayed himself as a dynamic economic reformer.

With Chancellor Merkel in Germany now talking about social justice rather than economic reform having been forced into a grand coaltion with the Social Democrats, grim economic times beckon in Europe made worse by the straitjacket of the Eurozone.

[Robert Marchenoir]

Here is the evidence we needed: the merguez sausages.

Proof that the French unions and the Left are deeply conservative.

Merguez sausages have been peddled at demonstrations and meetings of the Left for decades. When you smell merguez, you are either at the annual Fête de l'Humanité organized by the Communist party, or with strikers marching in the streets.

I realize McBurgers would not be politically correct, but could they not keep up with modern times and sell some sushi instead?

Also, it is obvious from this disgusting, cholesterol-ridden, cancer-inducing junk food that the unions and the Left's hidden agenda is to slowly poison youngsters and the people.

Otherwise, they would have decided long ago to feed them some nice steamed vegetables instead. Or, at the very least, some healthy bio sandwiches with roquefort from José Bové's sheep.

Shame.

[M. Powers]

If anyone has "surrendered" today, it is the protestors themselves, who have opted for the continuing heavy presence of the state in their lives, whose record so far in reducing the unemplyment rate (by trying to throw money at the problem in terms of creating idealistic but ultimately futile "stages" etc.) has failed to light anyone's fire, save that of the "banlieues". While I feel that de Villepin's attempt to loosen up rigid labour laws was perhaps too bold a step to take for one so new (and unelected) to the job, it did, at least, represent a radical departure from the "ostrich-like" posturing of previous prime ministers, who preferred to cling to the fervent but misguided belief in the evils of globalisation and the market economy. I think that France is a wonderful country but I wish that it would realise that America (and its market practices) is not the enemy. The enemy is the protectionist state.

[Clementine]

Hello to all self-proclamed francophobes here! (..). I guess none of you smell of merguez fat tonight -unlike me. Don't know what you're missing.

Chris: don't be so sure. Although I also tend to lose hope, for some reason I think that only the Left can reform the country (and the "code du travail", the different types of contracts etc..) because only they can do it together with the unions. A man like DSK could do that -he is absolutely converted to the market economy and knows about the absolute necessity to reform things (we would otherwise have to wait for.. the State to go bankrupt maybe?). (the only problem is I don't know whether the Socialists would elect him).

[Frank Schnittger]

Ah Robert!!! Get over it. If people are demonstrating against Globalisation you can hardly expect them to eat Burgers or Sushi... And as for those French farmers and their cheeses, they don't vote left anyway.

Let the 60's generation relive its youth one last time - and share the experience with their children. As John Lennon once said "the dream is over". Harsh reality beckons. Those who once demonstrated for Justice now demonstrate to keep their privileged jobs for life (and for their children). Such is the price of aging in an increasingly insecure world.

Soon the smouldering outer suburbs will explode again at their continuing exclusion from the good life - and the 1960's rebels will tut tut at such lawlessness. Chirac will call in the National Guard as he never did against the merguez eaters.

France will find some external cause celebre (or bete Noir) to re-establish National Solidarity (as Thatcher did with the Falklands). (For a non French speaker I sure do use a lot of French words – Chirac should be happy). Perhaps they’ll blame it all on the EU/Euro – and wreck the party for everyone else as well. (We in Ireland are doing very well out of it and BTW - up Munster and Allez Les Bleus - Leinster that is)

One thing is for sure – it will not be the fault of the current French Political establishment.

I once had a manager who blamed me when a project went wrong. When I pointed out that I had argued against it from day one he blamed me for not persuading him that it would not work. Watch out Robert, Peter, Gareth et al – it will all be your fault!

[Jennifer Arko]

Calls for a 'French solution' to unemployment are being ridiculed while we ignore the fact that, while unemployment in France is at 10%, compared to the UK's 4.7%, the poverty rate in France is sitting at 6.5%, while it is a shameful and incomprehensible 17% in the UK. (The same figures for the U.S. are 5.1% unemployment, 12% poverty.)

[John Mullen]

The Times coverage has not been as bad as The INdependent (I suspect their correspondent actually lives in some other country). But it seems to me rather flawed. It would have bee, impossible to get two million people onto the streets on a Tuesday if anyone really believed it was "all over bar the shouting". IN fact, Chirac's intervention was deeply ambiguous. He talked of "the right to an explanation" if young people are fired, which may or may not been a written justifcation which could be challenged in court. That is why the movement continues, and fifty universities are still involved in one way or another, many blockaded.
I really think you have missed the point. This conflict is, for the Right wing government exactly what the miners strike was for Margaret Thatcher.They would like a defeat for the movement to demoralize the unions for ten or fifteen years. This is why the temperature is so high.
John Mullen

[Swift]

I have no (British) beef against protectionism; I actually admire the French for their protectionist tendencies and their two-fingers-to-the-rest attitude. On the whole, they are a welcoming nation and if you make an effort to integrate yourself, they are willing to embrace your presence.
France, its culture, history, society, literature, politics, has given me so much and I am grateful. Sure, it’s about time they maybe re-worked their protectionism with a more global outlook, but I’m not asking for them to sell their soul. I have many friends who are bankers/consultants etc: they have sold their souls to global corporations. But I can’t blame them for it: someone has to do it. But for every banker/office worker etc you need free-spirits, creative personalities, sentimental personas, questioning individuals, wistful, nostalgic beings… If not, then everything would be so, er, boring.
That is what I see France as. And long may she rest so. Every time I am there, I am transported to another dimension of my own personality. My inspirational drive is augmented considerably by just the very idea of waking up in France and roaming the streets/countryside. What would I do without Flaubert, Balzac, the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix, the French Alps, south western cuisine, Ricard, all those cheeses, Auteuil/Tautou/Duris, Stendhal, the 1pm News on TF1, PPD’A, Buttes Chaumont, the back streets of the 9th, the French Revolution…?
So, lay off France a little! Even if the recent manifs are, quite frankly, as ridiculous as the men whose attempted reforms they brought about.
I personally think that at this stage Sarko is the only answer, if only he were given a decent chance (which he won’t because his name is endemic to turmoil and unrest) and if only he understood that France would not be France were she to let all her barriers down and be just like one of the rest.

[Mark in Picardie]

France would have more standing in the world if it just stopped being so anti-American. If you believed everything you read or heard in the French media then it would be a case, as in George Orwell's Animal Farm, of - two legs good, four legs bad - French good, Anglo-Saxon bad.

What the majority of French people fail to understand is that it is no longer the 1800s and the world is not run by the French. Over the Alps and over the Pyrenees, across the Rhine, across the English Channel and across the Atlantic there exists a big wide world. France judges the big world by the cherished values of 63 million Frenchmen. Like a spoilt kid, France wants to be in charge of the big international game of commerce and stamps its egotistical feet to get attention.

Example 1 - "Oh no, shock horror, we are being 'flooded' by Chinese T-shirts and cotton socks, however will our two factories in Lille cope? Let's get the European Union to impose quotas - they're Chinese so they're obviously poorly made and not as good as the socks made by our excellent French workers"

2 days later .......

"France .... at the forefront of the (subsidised) European Technology industry has sold 80 odd Airbus A380s to China - aren't we brilliant"

Example 2

EDF buys up a large number of Energy companies around Europe - EDF now supplies electricity to customer Blair at 10 Downing Street- but NO WAY any dirty foreign company can buy any of our French energy companies - i.e. Suez and Gaz de France protection merger against Italian energy company.

Example 3

Oh no we can't let Pepsi buy Danone - there are national security issues at stake - what has yoghurt got to do with defence??

Example 4

Chirac spurts on about 'the African poor' and then does everything in his power to block reform of the Common Agricultural Policy - even though this very policy is responsible for overproduction and closing the European market to Third World Agricultural imports.

Example 5
"When you next fill up your car, you'll notice that petrol prices have risen - this is because the Americans have entered what they call the driving season. So our prices at the pump have risen because the Americans are going on pick-nicks" quote from RTL radio this morning at 8h 25, here in France.

I have to say, in my unbiased opinion, all this points to arrogance and hypocrisy on a grand scale.


It's not a French world - it's not even an American world - if only the French and American governments got over their respective policies of economic protectionism then we could all get down to business.

These are the real issues, not the 'latest' student protest - God there's always a protest in France and half the time the protesters don't really understand what they are protesting about!


OPEN YOUR EYES, DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE FUTURE, STOP STAMPING YOUR FEET - PLAY THE GAME LIKE A GROWN UP and ........... GET IN THE REAL WORLD

[Swift]

John Mullin was a little harsh: The Independent's habitual France correspondent is the excellent John Litchfield, who I assure you both lives and works in France. I think he may have been ill recently, however, hence the unnusually below-par coverage that Mr Mullins mentions. I personally find Messrs Bremner and Litchfield's work very pertinent, just as I do Angelique Chrisafis' work for the Guardian.

[Clementine]

Hi Mr Mullen, you were my English professor at Tolbiac in the Fall semester! what a surprise.
By the way, the Independent's correspondant lives in Paris, I swear..

[John Hornsby]

I am not a sociologist but I wonder from my observations if the French attitude to the family and to the State are not closely linked. The French tend to lean very much on both. The typical middle- class child will have all the material comforts he needs, from personal TV, PC and car by the time he (or she) is eighteen. Even if he goes to university he will be back home every weekend (granted, there is no university life anyway)and will do his now generalized 5 years of study well under his parents' wing. I have a feeling that young English poeple want their indepedance earlier and are prepared to work for it, but stand to be corrected on this.

[Gareth]

I don't see that the protests are as over as the French press are claiming (http://www.paris-link.com/blogs where I continue my rant), there were 3 million out there yesterday (according to the unions), and my RER took 50 minutes to arrive. Something of an achievement even by the RATP's standards.
I don't see any politician forcing reform through at all, not even Sarkozy, unless he finds a way of introducing "stealth reforms".
By the way, Mark from Picardie, that was quite a read!

[Gulliver]

I had never thought of a French cheese as being left of centre before.
Thank you for that insight; it is all beginning to make sense now.
Suddenly I don't feel very well again.

[Sandrine]

Ah qu'ils me gonflent tous ces commentaires immondes sur la France feignante qui "veut" pas bosser, comme si ce pays était le pire endroit du monde où vivre.

Vive la France et vive les français râleurs et si mauvais joueurs (qui bouffent du fromage qui pue, qui boivent de la vinasse, et qui mangent des baguettes). Vive les merguez et les frites (Dieu que c'est bon !!), vive la Sécurité sociale et la possibilité de ne payer le médecin que 20€ (au lieu des 100$ minimum aux states), vive la joie de vivre que certains ont (pas comme certains français, râleurs chroniques, et jamais contents), vive la jeunesse si vivante, si volontaire qui se défend (soit contre une loi stupide et glauque à souhait, soit contre les blocages et saccages d'établissements idiots et inutiles), vive ce pays que j'aime et que j'aimerai toujours même s'il est loin d'être parfait !

Sorry I wrote it in french because my English is not good enough to show my feelings. Some people think that French people hate America and GB, but it's not true at all. I like going to Great-Britain (yes, it's a beautiful country), I would love visiting the USA, I like hearing people speaking English in the streets of Paris, or in the train, I like helping people to find there way when they're obviously lost... And I'm not the only one who think that.

I believe that what works in the USA may not work here (it's not that simple), even if some people here think that the world would be sooooo great if every country was exactly as the USA (many many very rich people and also many many very poor people)...

Mr Bremner, do you really think that the best (if not the only) way to help young people to find a job, is to allow employers to fire them whenever they want without giving them any reason during two years ? Or maybe you think that 2 years are not enough...

ps: j'ai l'air vindicative et hargneuse à la lecture, mais à la vérité, je ne le suis pas tant que ça, juste un peu triste, voili voilà. :o(

[hervé]

To Ian Veitch (first comment): It's funny to talk about french people as "Cheese eating surrendering monkeys" even more so because this cue was uttered by a Simpson! I don't know what is the most stupid behavior: being francophobic or giving credit to a Simpson!

[hervé]

Sandrine: I agree with you! there's no shame of being french and to proud of it (I warn all the francophobic around here that by saying so I'm not being arrogant or excessively proud !!!! ) I've written a research paper on the British school system and I can tell you that we are lucky ones for having studied in our home country rather than in the UK (to say nothing of the NHS) I like going abroad and discover new cultures, I like travelling to Britain and Ireland once in a while, but I have the feeling that British people obviously hate us because they've been told to so from an early age. It's a pity really. This outraging gallophobia around the world is kind of bizarre I must say. Our governments are often arrogant in the face of the world, but in the face of France too!!!! and people should understand that France for exemple is not Chirac and Chirac is not France! (as Bush does not embody The US) There is a huge gap between our politicians and us. Don't be sad! It's funny to see that the whole world hate France, you see, this little country, less than 1% of the population of the world, even not a dominant culture! That's perhaps the point: we stand out from the dominant culture, we are "too french" and not "international" enough. But I can cope with that.

[coco]

sandrine,

Il y a toujours quelque chose à retirer du point de vue d'une personne qui vient d'ailleurs. Que la critique vise les manifestants anti-cpe est le droit le plus strict de l'auteur de la critique. Nous devons accepter les critiques au lieu de les prendre pour des insultes. C'est de la susceptibilité mal placée que de refuser la libre critique de notre système par un observateur étranger.

De même, quand nous français nous délectons des problèmes que rencontrent les Américains (ah! le racisme aux US, la peine de mort aux US, combien d'articles assassins sur ce pays).

De même quand The Economist nous étrille pour les comportement inacceptables de la police française à l'égard des étrangers (au mois de novembre 2005). Vous avez écrit à The Economist à ce moment-là?

[Maggie Gassend]

The thing that I cannot understand is why the French distrust their government SO MUCH, and why they NEVER distrust the unions.

(I am married to a Frenchman and live in the Nice area.)

I don't care how arrogant or misguided Dominique de Villepin may have been this past month, it is NOTHING compared to the arrogance of the leaders of the syndicats and the leaders of the students.

Why is it always the prime minister who is 'intrangient', 'irresponsable', and 'sourd', and never the protesters?

Why do the French always fall into line behind the protesters? Why does no one ridicule or challenge the left?

You listen to the radio announcers (not the commentators, just the news readers) and it is clear they are all in favour of the protest. They are excited to announce that the lycéens have taken to the streets, and then that the collègians have taken to the streets. You wait for them to announce with equal satisfaction that the primary schools and the maternelles have joined the protest, and for them to be equally blind to how ridiculous that would be.

I am convinced that all the lycéens and collègians were simply jumping onto the bandwagon, encouraged by the positive attitude of the media.

Every morning you listen to Jean-Pierre Calbash on Europe 1 doing his interview. When he interviews someone from the government, he thunders and roars and interrupts. When he interviews François Hollande or the student leader or Bernard Thibeault, he is almost as meek as a kitten. I don't think he's from the left, but there is something about the unions and the left in France -- you just don't mock them or challenge them. It just isn't done. Is it tabou, or are they afraid, or what?

None of the commentators on the radio questioned the rightness of the protest until they began to realize that the rest of the world was mocking France. Only then did they begin to question the reasoning behind te strikes.

This morning Calbash interviewed that arrogant bully of a caveman, Bernard Thibeault again. He became slightly critical, and tried to pin Thiebault down, saying, "IF. IF. IF they throw out the CPE, what proposals will you make? What are your ideas?" Thiebault did nothing but repeat over and over that they would negotiate NOTHING until the CPE was withdrawn. It was clear they had no proposals at all, that the entire protest was simply a political stategy.

I have lost all respect for the left. How they can bring the entire country to a standstill, for such a piddling, tiny reform, that doesn't even touch them, and STILL the public supports them.

I have no respect for the students. How can they be so naive and easy to manipulate? How can they be so brainless as to aligne themselves with the unions?
Since they have so massively rejected the tiny reform that was meant to help them, are they now going to line up with the government against the unions and demand that the unions give up some of their priviledges that are preventing the students from getting jobs? Do they have enough brains to see that it is the protection of the workers, and not the government, that makes employers afraid to hire?

All these people in the street, they seem to think that the government is sitting on a huge pile of money, and that they only have to reject the CPE in order to force the governmet to share out the money. They don't understand that the equation is not "CPE or contract indeterminé" but "CPE or no jobs at all".

So Dominique de Villepin "rammed" the CPE through parliament. Have they forgotten that it was a response to the crisis in the banlieus in November? The CPE was supposed to be to help the people in the banlieus. The selfishness and opportunism of the unions and the students makes me sick.

I am disappointed in Nicholas Sarkozy, that he did not support de Villepin more. I am not a great fan of de Villepin, but at least he had the courage to confront the protestors and to say no. They should have allowed the protestors to cause mayhem a little bit longer, to see if the students would have continued protesting during their holidays. What a laugh. Can you imagine the students allowing their holidays to be disrupted? If they had let them protest and strike as long as it took, maybe the public would have started to turn against them. What a tragedy that the mobs have won again.

They don't understand anything. They think this is democracy.

And once again, as usual, the system of education is sacrificed. There is ALWAYS a reason to disrupt the school year. Almost every year we have the students wondering if they will be able to write their bac.

Pauvre France.

[CombatBob]

Herve & Sandrine: Everyone I know hates the French. I am ridiculed because I have a French dictionary on my desk(I'm still studying), I still buy French wine, go to a local French restaurant, and I am an un-ashamed member of the Cult of Sylvie Guillem. In school, I chose French as my second language because I thought it was the most beautiful language in the world, and was spoken by a beautiful people.

The truth is - most Americans don't know enough about the French to either like them or hate them. But they do know one thing with certainty - that for 40 years it has been the official policy of the French Republic to oppose everything that America is and does. To support our enemies, no matter how evil, and oppose our policies, right or wrong. This is the way Americans see France.

Twice in one lifetime, America sent her sons across the sea to fight and die side-by-side with the French, and all we got for it is another enemy. How I wish the American soldiers buried in Normandy could be brought home, where their sacrifice is still respected.

Once I dreamed of visiting France. I would like to have seen the Paris Opera Ballet at the Palais Garnier, and Notre Dame(before it becomes a mosque). But I think it is too late now. I am an American military officer, and I know that one person out of three in France would be happy to see me dead, and Saddam Hussein back in power as the "President" of Iraq(this from a poll buplished by a Paris newspaper).

I think it is a mistake for America and France to be opposed to each other on every level. But it was the French who decided that they would rather be friends with any else than the Anglo Saxons(in general) and the Americans(in particular).

[hervé]

Thanks combatBob for your comment. I nevertheless doubt about the figures given in the poll you are talking about(or it would be horrifying and shamefull for the french). I know that many american people consider the french as dirty "weasels" for having (according to them) "deliberately" let the german soldiers take over our country (which is totally untrue) and for having sided with Saddam Hussein (very doutful as well indeed) At the same time Fox news keeps on saying that the french are like this, like that, lazy, and I have even heard a journalist reporting that french citizens did not have tap water at home! If I was told such nonsense all the time I would end up by thinking so myself! I was on strike because of the so-called CPE. Imagine the case of a young girl being employed in CPE, imagine a nasty boss attempting to assault on her! what would be her options? what if she refuses to give in? She would instantly be fired without being given any kind of explanation. This might seem extreme, but we, young french citizens, refuse this kind of world where french societies increase their benefits and where over powerfull managers keep wages low at the same time using the well-oiled threat of delocalization. I refuse it, as norwegian do with their chart on the "ecology at work". Young french people will have to pay for the huge deficit the country has never ceased to increase for many years and up to now, will have to work harder than their parents in order to pay for retired people's pensions. Now the government says "you have to be flexible, it's for your own good and you'll acquire professional experiences". I, we hardly buy it.

[hervé]

To Maggie Gassend: I think you mix up several issues; the CPE did not intend to solve the banlieues problems, but was rather created in order to curb the unemployment rate among young french citizens (whatever the means and at all costs) as fast as possible in order to give evidence of the government's action. Remember that the presidential election is scheduled for 2007. And as a student you offend me by saying that you have, and I quote "no respect for the students". I'm sure that in 1789 you would have starved to death thanking the king's action... We stupid students don't. But let me tell you that we aren't ridicule, far from it. Think it over...

[David O'Toole]

“The CPE is dead long live the zero-sum game!”…..once again the world views the mysterious actions of that romantic French nation in all its revolutionary glory and actually believes that something revolutionary is happening. I for one don’t believe it, yes the PM’s head has effectively been served on a platter but so what he was probably only doing the job for poetic inspiration and to make Mr Sarkozy sweat a little before becoming the UMP’s presidential candidate. Everyone, if the media is to be believed, talks about ‘la crise Francaise’ and yet ‘the street’ has taken to dancing & celebrating its victory, FOR the STATUS-QUO – which by the way means continued short-term employment (CDD) or long-term unemployment. The political elite, of a left-wing bent, have seized the moment to appear united & effective and together with Mr Sarkozy appear to have illustrated that the President or his PM is a buffoon( can I say that). Meanwhile said buffoon (clearly I can!!) has enjoyed 12 years of appearing to be effective whilst changing his PM whenever the veneer thins. Meanwhile the unions continue to exert an influence that belies their membership rate and the employers (private sector) continue to rake up profits whilst burdened by the crippling costs of France’s labour laws.

All in all one might be led to believe that life in France is not so bad after all and so why reform something that ain’t really broken. As for comparisons with Britain 25 years ago once we start seeing bands that evolve from the social shame of rampant unemployment, UB40 and Billy Bragg stand out, the proliferation of alternative comedians (no not the communists) and playwrights that gave us heroic characters such as Yossser Hughes then I’ll start believing that France wants to reform. As an aside I remember that Maggie (Thatcher) took away my free school milk long before she led the Conservative party, not the same as the CPE I know but the signs for the future were there nevertheless.

[selwyn]

OK so the students and unions have won! Three cheers ! there will be no CPE jobs!
But, hang on, that therefore means that there will only the nasty short term contract jobs plus the permanent jobs that everyone craves. Except these don’t exist, except when the government (and utilities etc) create them (so you tax one lot of French people to create permanent public service jobs for other french people; good thinking).
One of your comments on an earlier blog, from a frenchman, was on the need to create service jobs in small businesses (SMEs) and how that would solve everything. But, in fact, these are the least likely jobs to be created, especially after the demise of the CPE. Are, for example, cafes and restaurants likely to expand when they have to employ staff on a (de facto) permanent basis?? With a 35 hour week?
Here is a task that makes Su Doku look easy; I know as I play this game twice a year . Plan a trip, using the latest Guide Michelin; leave Paris on a Saturday, and only stay in small towns and villages en route, and take 5 or 6 days to drive to say Bayonne or Nice. It is easy to find a hotel on the Saturday night, but you then find that all hotels and restaurants are closed on Sunday night (after being open for la grande bouffe, the big Sunday lunch still loved in rural france) and Monday night.
No amount of trolling through Michelin will find a small interesting hotel in a village or town on these two nights (other than during the mayhem of August). It is simply too hard and expensive to open on these nights. Compare the current situation with the mid 1990s; it is easy to do, just get out a Michelin Guide of the period.
Yes, you can drive into the cities on Sundays and Mondays (up and down the ring roads, one way streets to find a car parking hell, and a bland 1960s hotel box) and stay at the airconditioned Dijon Ibis or the Mecure at Aix, etc etc etc. But that is the only choice you have.
I went to rural England last year for the first time in a decade and small towns and villages were bustling on Sundays (supermarkets open on Sundays, mon dieu!), pubs were open, small shops in the high streets.
Even Paris is a morgue on Sundays (other than a few touristy areas, St Michel, Bercy etc).
So where does this leave the poor benighted kids now that they have “won”, now that they can stop waffling on about how it is just like 1968, etc. Still no jobs, and certainly not in the service sector .

[Charles]

CombatBob: do not be so pessimistic about France. I don't know anyone who hates America and I don't know anyone who would be happy to see Saddam (who used to be a great friend of France, the UK and the US in the past, by the way) back in power either.

[Brian Dixon]

Ditto CombatBob, don't be so down on the French. Appearances can be decieving. Anti-Americanism is used by political classes in the absence of any real strategy. It's popular appeal might mean that politically France does not agree with George W. but then again, politically, France doesn't agree with a lot of people, least of all its own President. It doesn't mean that French people hate the American people though. Au contraire, they love you guys, seriously. Get yourself over to France, get yourself invited to a party or two and you'll see. Americans here have a ball. France buys into your culture big style; they love your humour, music, films, general attitude. Forget the politics, get into the people and get yourself over and you wouldn't feel homesick, honestly.

[Sandrine]

Coco,
J'accepte la critique en général. D'ailleurs, si je viens sur ce blog (et ce, depuis un bon moment), c'est bien parce que ce dont parle l'auteur (M. Bremner) m'intéresse et m'interpelle. J'aime bien discuter avec des étrangers, de leur pays (et de l'opinion que j'en ai), ou du mien (pour savoir ce qu'ils en pensent), je trouve cela très sain et très sympathique.

Le problème ici, c'est que bien que l'auteur du blog soit pondéré dans sa manière de présenter son désaccord profond avec tel ou tel point politique ou autre, la plupart de ceux qui commentent ces propos le sont beaucoup moins (pondérés). Du coup, cela fait bien trois ou quatre "posts" que je lis et qui me font réfléchir, mais lorsque je lis les commentaires sous les articles, eh bien, soit je bondis parce qu'ils m'énervent profondément, soit je suis dépitée devant tant de hargne... Bref, dans tous les cas, c'est le cafard assuré ensuite.

Voilà pourquoi j'ai réagi (assez excessivement je l'avoue et c'était voulu) dans mon commentaire plus haut.

Concernant The economist, je n'ai pas pu lui répondre puisque je n'ai pas lu l'article dont vous parlez. Je lis beaucoup la presse étrangère, mais certainement pas toute la presse étrangère.
Pitite correction en passant : je n'ai jamais dit que nous français étions meilleurs que quiconque (ni même que notre presse était la meilleure du monde, loin de là).

[Felix Lowe]

A very pertinent post from Maggie Gassend. It’s about time the French media wheeled someone in like Jeremy Paxman who could give all sides an equal grilling.

Hervé: drawing links with 1968 is one thing, but an analogy with 1789 is just ridiculous. Then, le peuple had a juste and virtually unanimous desire to revolt, even if they had absolutely no idea (or, arguably, intention) to completely decapitate the old system of things and turn everything on its head.

The comparatively petty manifs of 2006 are the result of much dilly-dallying (from all sides involved) and a failure to accept that we are now in the 21st century.

The issues are risible when compared to those of 1789.

And don’t for one minute think that there is some kind of all-encompassing élan amongst each and every student to get on the streets and revolt. Thinking that is getting on the bandwagon as much as those who set fire to cars in November, and those who take to the streets today.

Some of the more level-headed and conscientious students out there are actually appalled by the actions of their peers and would rather just get back to work. Faculties and libraries have been shut for nigh on a month now, and the post Easter exams are fast approaching.

There was a very interesting piece in the Sunday Times a couple of weeks back to this effect by Matthew Campbell.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2104019,00.html

Adieu.

[Victor Tan]

I read that the gulf between the elite ruling class and the ordinary people is widening, and the politician are out of touch with them. The prime minister, de Villepin is reported to lunch with vintage champagne every day, while the unemployed are scrapping the bottom of the barrel, reminiscent of the kings before the revolution?

I personally believe that the Ecole National d'Administration has a lot to answer for. The country is ruled virtually by these elitist politicians and fonctionnaires from this establishment. I have not had the privilege of meeting one of them, but I have no doubt that they are blinkered and are brought up to believe that their destinity is to rule. We do have one example here by the name of Charles, sorry not you Bremner, but Wales. We all know what happened in 1789, are we witnessing history being repeated? I say that it is about time to slay the dragon!!

[hervé]

Thanks Victor Tan for having answered to Felix Lowe for me ;o)It's ridiculous NOT to see that there is an OBVIOUS link to 1789 indeed...

[Jane]

Herve, you may have written a research paper on French versus British education, but you apparently suffer from the same problem that afflicts many academics, ie you don't really know what you are talking about. Whether from a results point of view (see the University of Shanghai's research on the rankings of 500 universities worldwide, http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2005/ARWU2005TOP500list.htm, to see quite how badly the French universities rank, the top one comes in at a magnificent number 46) or from an enjoyment point of view (ask any French person who has been lucky enough to study in Britain to hear how much better they believe the system to be, both academically and socially) it's hard to see quite what point you are trying to make - except, of course, that France university is free and anyone can get a place - but then again quite a lot of people would argue that therein lies the problem...

[Maggie Gassend]

To Felix Lowe,

Of course I did not mean "all students" when I said I had no respect for the students; I meant the ones in the street who are preventing the others from going to class.

In France, every year there are students (and teachers) who permit themselves to bring the education system to a halt. It is a scandalous injustice that happens far too regularly.

I don't have respect for Bruno Julien and the other student leaders, who are monstrously swollen up with self-importance, who refuse to meet with the prime minister, who issue ultimatums, who are intrangient and who don't care about the students who are trying to get an education.

[marc millier]

I'm so surprise and amaze to read all french bashing.
its not serious ..I heard some campaign on the FOX news .you hate France as soon as you can vomit on France.Somes comments are simply ridiculous.I have believed to read somes interessting opinion on this blog.There are a lot of french blashing.
its your favorit sport.
pauvre perfide albion..

[Robert Marchenoir]

"There is something about the unions and the left in France -- you just don't mock them or challenge them. It just isn't done."

Exactly, Maggie. I was once an intern in a big mainstream French newspaper (not a partisan one).

My mentor, upon reading some of my copy, told me in a quiet tone: "Here, we do not criticize the unions."

You are not supposed to, and people pretend to get very offended if you do. (It is even possible that they actually feel that way.)

The British-based Saudi writing The Religious Policeman blog has invented the MOL (Muslim Offence Level). It is yellow at the moment, which means Quite Elevated.

Obviously the FUOL (French Union Offence Level) is red at all times, meaning Severe. This is a code for "We are Extremely Offended by the Government's Unacceptable and Disrespectful Behaviour towards Us - We Demand a Thorough and Complete Apology, followed by a Humiliating Resignation - Right - Now - Or - Else."

[hervé]

to jane: I don't care that french universities are not greatly ranked indeed. In "low-ranked" french universities one can find bright and meritorious students, all the more so since french universities lacks funding. That's not the point. You say: "ask any French person who has been lucky enough to study in Britain to hear how much better they believe the system to be, both academically and socially" OK, that's fair enough, but ask him/her honestly if the system does not favor the most well-off..... Then you say: "you don't really know what you are talking about": well, for my research paper I had to go to the LSE on Portugal street, London, that's why I do think I know what I'm talking about. In turn, have you ever been to a french university? I'm just asking. British universities are great ones, but one has to admit that there are many shortages in the system...

[hervé]

To Marc Millier: I think that in targeting britons by using the phrase "pauvre perfide Albion", you are showing the other side of french bashing which is.....british bashing and I don't think that this is the right thing to do. And remember that Fox nexs is an american network, not a british one.

[CombatBob]

Herve/Charles/Brian: Thank you for your encouragement.

The poll I mentioned, published in 2003, said that 30% of the French hoped that the American Forces would suffer a horrible defeat in Iraq, and that Saddam would triumph. I have to admit that I took this personally - I have not been to Iraq yet, but I know many who have, and I could go any time.

It was especially upsetting for me to read this, since I am the only person I know who defends the French. I tell people that the French press and political establish represent the French people even less than the American press and politicians represent the American people. And I have no idea what Fox News says about the French, since I don't watch ANY TV news, including Fox.

I don't presume to offer economic advice to the French. If they can find a way to preserve their system in a golbal economy, I will congratulate them. I desire nothing so much as to see the French economy recover, for the French people to shake off the malaise that I have read about, and for America, the British Commonwealth, and Europe to unite against the forces that threaten our common values and civilization.

[marcmillier]

a lot of britons people live in my area with harmony each others. The nurse in my village come from UK. Her father live here too. But as soon as somethings happens in France the media in your country are completly dechained except 2 or 3.
At the moment there are more important evenents in the world , more serious than the french siuation.
.I have been to uk several time.
its true ; Could you explain why you mixe up the probleme in france with the Iraq war.!!!!!!?????
I'm sorry but murdoch news papers exist also in UK.??? all this madi TV papers hate FRANCE..do you know the news name of PARIS."SADDAM city"..

[marcmillier]

yes its true, FOX news is a US tV.

last week afterwards the march in Paris.
A journalist of CNN "said it looks like the place Tienmen on 1989 in china.
there were 200 casseurs on the PLACE d'ITALIE. I'm sorry but this lady wasn't honest with her comment.

[marc millier]

An interesting book forth coming;

By Philippe Auclair.
Le Royaume Enchanté de Tony Blair

edi Fayard.

[Felix]

Hervé/Victor Tan:

I just think that it’s very easy (but not necessarily accurate) to draw analogies with 1789 purely because that was the mother of all revolutions and France has had a penchant to revolt ever since.

Of course, it’s very fun to make links with the greedy ruling of Louis XVI and the whimsical aristocratic poetry of de Villepin / the culinary fads of President Chirac / the haughtiness of civil servants. But honestly, come on, it’s a rather tenuous – though nevertheless entertaining – pattern of thought.

The soon-to-be-decapitated King would only offer his starving people rotten apples and mouldy bread. Granted, many may see the CPE as rather pourri, but the leading elite are trying to do something. It’s not a question of ‘let them eat (festering) cake’!

As for the manifs themselves – this is not a class revolt that France is experiencing. If you look carefully, students and demonstrators from vastly opposing social backgrounds are united in their contempt. If anything it is an ostensibly ageist revolt, a demonstration against the job security privileges that come with age.

If you ask me, they should get back into the classrooms, study hard and get their qualifications. Or maybe they all want to revolt until they’re 26 so that they can’t be unjustly shown the door once they do actually find a job?

Finally, Maggie – there was no rancour in my post towards you. On the contrary, I was praising your views. My reference to ‘all students’ was to the post made by Hervé, so no hard feelings. In fact, no hard feelings to anyone: we’re just airing our views, and everyone is going to have a different stance given their own contrasting previous experiences.

[Robert Marchenoir]

Hervé, you wrote: "I don't care that French universities are not greatly ranked indeed. In 'low-ranked' French universities one can find bright and meritorious students." And further, about British universities: "Ask him/her honestly if the system does not favor the most well-off."

Well, Hervé, you have voiced, in a nutshell, the underlying, criminal assumption behind the political thinking of the French left, and I should say the political thinking of a major part of the nation, since these views are by no means restricted to the left.

Never mind we do not succeed, never mind intellectual dumbing-down, never mind poverty, never mind unemployment, as long as everybody is equal in their misery.

Also, you illustrate the constant denial of reality so specific of this country. When facts or statistics fly into the face of theories and dreams, damn the facts! Blast the statistics!

You admit that British universities are better than French ones, but, imagine this: they favour the most well-off! That is about the most severe condemnation anyone could hand out in France. As a result, we will not even bother to look into the reasons that make them better. That would be taboo.

Incidentally, I hate to break the news to you, but generally speaking, under any latitude and any type of government, being well-off tends to make things easier in life. Including -- and maybe especially -- in the French education system.

Except under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, where wearing glasses was enough to warrant a death sentence -- never mind your bank account -- but I am sure you are not longing for that type of regime.

This cult of mediocrity, this hatred of anything and anybody better than ourselves, more successful, more intelligent, more wealthy, is slowly killing France.

And frankly, the argument that one can find bright students in French universities is perfectly irrelevant. I am sure some bright students manage to get through, despite the massive shortcomings of the system.

The problem is: does the system helps bright children to succeed? Does it help all children to succeed, not equally of course, but to the best of their abilities? Does it help children and students, not only to have a nice time at school and university (already a tall order, judging by the appalling depictions of campuses drawn here), but to master a trade that the country needs? (And that means not hundreds of PhDs in psychology of sport, but thousands of high-level scientists, for instance)?

The answer is, obviously, no. And the hard facts are that we are slipping backwards in that respect.

Now if you are happy with being ill-educated and not well-off, that is fine by me. Just do not prevent others from seeking a better education and a good living, please.

And incidentally, may I remind you that I am paying for that dismally-ranked-but-supposedly-egalitarian university of yours out of my own pocket?

I want a better university, or my money back.

[Jane]

Herve, I studied at L'INALCO, in Clichy, for a year. It wasn't the best academic experience I have ever had, let's put it that way. I went to Oxford university, supposedly a bastion of privilege, and the tuition fees were 100% covered by the state, incidentally. I did a masters at SOAS in London, ditto. L'INALCO was quite a miserable experience in comparison with both Oxford and SOAS - academically not very impressive, and the social aspect of university that I was used to in England just didn't exist. Just a personal opinion of course, but as it happens I've never come across anyone who claimed that the opposite was true.

[coco]

Sandrine,

I answer in English because I think people might be interested in our exchange. (though my English is awful)

Ok I see what you mean. I first thought that you were angry at Mr Bremner.

Some comments here are interesting too.

I started questioning the French "model" when I worked abroad. Before that I had never realized that we the French have ideas that we take for granted and obvious, while they are so typically French and exotic for many foreigners (for example our conception of "le service public" and our strong belief that ONLY the STATE can ensure a better "service public"). According to me this explains why so many leftists who supported the "no" on may 29 couldn't even imagine that most of their arguments were, in fact, nationalist arguments. They were SO sure of the universality of their ideas.

Je n'ai pas écrit que vous pensiez la France supérieure au reste du monde (bien que notre supériorité soit une réalité scientifiquement démontrée :-)))

To the others :

I'm too lazy and too coward (too French?) to translate the last sentence. :-))

[hervé]

to Robert: "Now if you are happy with being ill-educated" well, I never had the feeling to be ill-educated in France. We lack many thing but certainly not bright teachers. I go on: "(...)and not well-off, that is fine by me" did I ever mentionned something about it? no, I didn't. Then you say: "just do not prevent others from seeking a better education and a good living, please." I would not say "better", but "different", and I've never had the intention to prevent anyone from seeking better education. And finally,: "You admit that British universities are better than French ones" excuse me, I said : "British universities are great ones", it's not quite the same...

[hervé]

Thanks Jane for your reply. I'm really
sorry for having overreacted as I did, but all that you said (I quote "Herve, you may have written a research paper on French versus British education, but you apparently suffer from the same problem that afflicts many academics, ie you don't really know what you are talking about.")
seemed to imply that my studies as much as my research paper were valueless. Sorry again, I took all
that way too personally.

[hervé]

To Robert: "The problem is: does the system helps bright children to succeed? Does it help all children to succeed, not equally of course, but to the best of their abilities? Does it help children and students, not only to have a nice time at school and university (already a tall order, judging by the appalling depictions of campuses drawn here), but to master a trade that the country needs? (And that means not hundreds of PhDs in psychology of sport, but thousands of high-level scientists, for instance)?

The answer is, obviously, no. And the hard facts are that we are slipping backwards in that respect."

There you can only be right..... As for Jane, sorry for having overreacted.

[Victor Tan]

"At last! I've got it! The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains...."

Hasn't anyone realised that the French model is that copied from George Orwell's Animal Farm?..."All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others".

[Klein Renaud]

Two comments.

Mister Marchenoir and Jane : In the Times Higher Education Supplement L'Ecole Polytechnique is ranked tenth. And read well the comments before the ranking : I don't think that French education system is so bad (Not to mention the fact that French Business Schools'MBA are also well-ranked)

[Renaud Klein]

And the second one is more general.

Our future-former prime minister insisted on the `incredible unemployment of the younger`, and quoted 22%. He forgot to tell that students were included in this percentage ("Taux de chomage" in French). The "true" unemployment is around 8.1% that is to say 0.5% more than in UK.

Was it worth all that fuss ?