Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Reforme des retraites: carton rouge pour la gauche.

Article published in UnMondeLibre (France), 3Hs (Turkiye). In la langue de Shakespeare(shortened version) in France's largest English language paper (November issue), called funnily enough, theFrenchPaper. Finally in the University of Portsmouth students newspaper, Pugwash News.
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English version, The French Paper.
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In the name of “solidarité”, a vocal minority of “grèvistes” (strikers) appears to be prepared to fight to the bitter end to prevent the government doing the right thing, namely reforming the pension system. While there was plenty of solidarity in evidence in Chile with the whole nation pulling together behind its “33”, what we are witnessing on French streets is a flurry of irresponsibility and selfishness. In a well-rehearsed action plan, two million or so of my compatriots are once again taking the country hostage in their latest attempt to save a floundering model of welfare state.
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Since the shameful fiasco of the national football team, you could be forgiven for thinking that the French love to wallow in endless strikes. But just as most fans were disgusted by the attitude of the striking players, private sector employees are unimpressed by the repeated strikes of public sector workers (1/5 of the labour force). The international media is predictably painting the French with a broad brush, a nation of demonstrators. The other side of the argument – let’s call it the “other France” - rarely features in programmes presumably because "l'autre France" rarely demonstrates. The stories of the hard-working entrepreneur-boulangers and artisans, innovating small family enterprises struggling to remain competitive despite one of the highest burden of taxation in the developed world do not have the same news appeal. But they are many untold tales of real solidarity between bosses and workers reaching compromises to try and save together their livelihood. Unions do not approve.
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Impervious to the fate of the “other France”, members of the unions (8% of the work force) have been joined by a minority of politicized high school students steeped in the same cult of job-for-life and “acquis sociaux” (none-reviewable social rights), the sacred cows of the Left. Ironically the teenagers' prospects of finding work are being curtailed by the very system their parents are trying to keep in place. With youth unemployment at a record 23%, a sizeable number of them after graduating will be seeking employment across the Channel in the more flexible British labour market. Until then, they add oil to the fire by mindlessly, and sometimes violently, protesting against all-things liberal (and Anglo-Saxon).
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The democratic choice of the people is inexorably vanishing in the commotion created by the latest wave of street protests. Polls can be made to say anything. The much quoted “support” to the strikers is probably more an expression of the people's belief in the right to protest as a cornerstone of democracy than anything else. Other polls have shown that a majority understand that action must be taken to avoid a Greek-like tragedy. For those who want to see, the right to strike is now blatantly being abused and used as an undemocratic tool for a few to reverse a democratic decision (pension reform law) with street coercion.
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Amazingly, Martine Aubry, the General Secretary of the Socialist Party seems unperturbed by the abyssal social security deficit and the mounting sovereign debt. Having recently celebrated her 60th birthday, she could lead by example and retire. But the great architect of the economically disastrous 35-hour-working-week fights on and continues to enjoy the privileges bequeathed on our politico-administrative nomenclature. The fact that politicians can hold several electoral mandates – and salaries – is an absolute scandal but it is a gravy train few, be it on the Left or the Right, would like to see stop at some “austerity” station. Needless to say, they are not bound by a compulsory retirement age.
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Are radical self-imposed austerity measures “à la Cameron” plausible? Not really. To the government's credit, reforms to change a damaging culture of welfare benefit-dependency have been introduced but it will take more than modest politically correct steps to have any real impact. As to meaningful cuts to France’s sprawling administration, dream on. Half of the members of the French Parliament are civil servants so serious reforms are more likely to be imposed by the EU - read Germany - or forced upon any government by the “evil” market and its credit rating agencies (looming downgrading).
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Oil shortages are looming too and violence could spread to the suburbs. While the Left backs the workers of state-owned refineries' against privatization, the “other France” can only hope that the government will stand firm and show the kind of resolve Margaret Thatcher exhibited in the 1980s when the coal miners' strike threatened the British economy. The behaviour of our “équipe nationale” was a disgrace and deeply hurt the nation's pride. The irresponsibility of union leaders and their political masters is no less disgraceful. The consequences for the fragile recovery and the future could be far-reaching.