A Little Eccentric

La Greve

Hey everyone! Just to update you on the current situation, the strike itself all but over! It is kind of a big surprise.
Here is what a recent Reuters article in an on-line British newspaper said:
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Jacques Chirac scrapped a youth job law on Monday after weeks of angry unrest, in a climbdown that undermined his prime minister and handed protesters victory.
Chirac's decision was a personal blow to Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who had championed the First Job Contract (CPE) as a vital job-creating reform of the French economy but had seen his popularity slump as mass opposition grew.
The government U-turn over the CPE makes it unlikely France will attempt broader reform of its highly-regulated labour market before 2007, some economists said.
Villepin said in a television address he regretted that the strikes and street protests showed the CPE could not be applied.
" The necessary conditions of confidence and calm are not there, either among young people, or companies, to allow the application of the First Job Contract," Villepin said, adding he would open talks with unions on youth employment.
A protest march in Paris planned for Tuesday should show whether student anger over the contract has abated.
In one sign student protests could be dwindling, the education ministry said only five universities were closed or disrupted by strikes.”
Interesting, huh? Basically Chirac caved "like a little girl" as my dad put it. I have no idea yet how this will affect me. Francois Rabelais happens to be one of those five universities, and we actually only have two weeks of scheduled classes left. As soon as I read this article Monday morning, I went in to try to see if the main University building was open. It was just as blocked as usual, as were the other University buildings across town. However, it is now Tuesday and the University remains blocked. Students now want ANOTHER part of the same bill to be pulled and are keeping the university closed.
This, I think, may be a devastating blow to France’s economy and government. Not only will the CPE not be passed to fix the incredibly high youth unemployment problem, but this shows the utter power unions have over France. While it is likely that the strikes will cease now that the government has caved, it is likely, in my opinion, that the unions will want to flex their political muscle over other issues very soon. However, not only is this a defeat for the important economic policies themselves, but for the fragile social structure in France. I believe that this strike could have been a major turning point for French society over who had more strength, the unions or the government. This was a battle fought with Margaret Thatcher in Britain and Ronald Reagan in the US, with the government being victorious both times resulting in a better, healthier system in the long-run. However, as it stands, France could just be on the verge of major problems brewing over the horizon. It is currently the most xenophobic, anti-globalization country in the European Union and has growing social and economic problems from government-union clashes to extreme problems with racism and class discrimination. I seriously think things are going to get worse before they get better.
On a lighter note, the other night Tchykita and I got really bored and she dared me to eat a piece of bread soaked in ranch dressing and wine that had gone bad, and I did it. Now, she has to buy me two sugar crepes.

posted by Molly Jo @ 6:09 AM