As most European know , the fear of a massive french refusal to the proposition of constitution have materialised last Sunday. A couple of days later the first major negation of European politic institutions was to be imitated by our dutch counterparts. As I said this is a one-off event in 50 years european history.
No one will thus object to the fact that this is a watershed in the rather long process towards a unified european continent. So what happened, what does this mean and above all what s gonna happen? Here are my views on the current and future situation in Europe, with a special focus on the French situation.
What happened?
Many people have expected it, some were surprised but all in all we can say that what happened last Sunday in France was predictable at least in the most recent weeks. This difficult result is rooted in France's own political, institutional, economic but mostly social crisis. France is sick, and this is not just a winter flu : the patient is an anemic state and needs urgent care.
France is one of the best representant of an old Continent who s lagging behing in the global economy. While the US economic figures have reassured the markets, while China and India boasts an overwhelming growth, the countries who used to lead the 20ieth century have dived in a deep general lethargy. This disease is general, but France clearly has its own problem. Firstly politics in France - let's speak crudely - literally suck. As I was hearing on the radio on few days ago, France with its history of freedom and liberties pretends to be a democracy but clearly is far from it in the facts. Raffarin who s survived his power for 3 years without the people's approbation nor the results has been a big issue in himself. The communication teacher nominated by Jacques Chirac has rapidly lost support from french people, the assembly or his own government. Mistakes after mistakes the French population has learnt to despise him as badly as the economy sunk. The fact is that unemployment remains stagnant at an awful 10% high; while at the same time the government has shown some motivation in diminishing the existing social assistance and the cost it implies. Is this disastrous economic appraisal the sole fault of the government, I do not think so. The Internet bubble burst and the crisis bound to it had set the government with high challenges for the second act of Jacques Chirac's presidency. The unemployment just to mention it has kept on for roughly two or three decades so it would be unfair to blame the current (has it really changed?) government. But still; this does not excuse everything. I am , and I have always been surprised to see how conservationist my country could be. For all the year spent with Chirac at the Elysée, no one s barely able to quote one or two big reforms to change the country and try solving the sufferings or our people. The thing is French are guilty for that, that's my opinion at least. I have spent a few years in the UK and as many of my french fellow who had the chance to see such a different system I need to say that France really ought to compare with the English. French always criticize english people and their so-called "liberal system". But look at the figures the English people have virtually no unemployment and the value of their production is much higher than ours. In terms of social system English are said to be unequal economically, French even consider the english society as a kind of "guetto factory" where different ethnies do not really live together. For having seen the actual situation I must say that this conception is far rom being true. In effect the English society is a lot fairer than the french one and people who re still doubtful have then to explain to me why so many people choose to expatriate in the UK. Thanks to innovative politicies such as positive discrimination that even our "wannabe next french president" Sarkozy dreams of putting in place, english society has become a lot fairer. Indians, Pakistanese or even French, ITalian, I reckon one can say that anyone with some intelligence, talent or ambition has more chances to succeed in a nation such as the english one. In France reversely, who knows that many people "produits de l'immigration" (products of the immigration) who are given the chance to thrive, lead and occupy a few of the best seats? Not that many, this difference does not stand statistics, it doesn t even require more than observation coupled with a genuine bjectivity to be verified. Why can t French be a fairer system? Why don't we live in a real meritocracy? The answer to me is simple, it s pattern of a wider pattern. French politics and to some extent the population hides behind words. Positive discrimination is evil, it comes from those nasty bloody "anglo-saxons" those "americans" and as de Villepin the freshly nominated prime minister puts it "it would lead to new problems with a 2-speed republic". What... a ... lot ... of ... crap? I wonder whether this is really sincere or not, or a just a cover-up from a not politically correct sign of post-colonialist xenophoby but this is really ridiculous in any case.
Please just take a look at the UK, it works just fine and no one has to complain about it. France , with its 2 century old revolution and "Droits de 'Homme"refuses to engage in such a critical evolution. Nevertheless this kind of changes don t seem necessary to me, but rather vital. France is getting poorer everyday mainly because of a too heavy legislation which doesn t encourage entrepreneurship. Then the system is unfair and repeats the social divide between those have wealth, educationand ressources and the others who have , well ... hmm... free text messages (I ve read this satyrical joke this week, it s so true...) As I m quoting, I m going to repeat what Sarkozy said with a lot of accuracy "The French Model has no more sense in a country where so many people remain unemployed). I wish God or at least French people hear these words, I know some do... France needs a real evolution, French work less than anyone in the world but in return earn less too. The system is suffocating, people need to rebind with the notion of work. Scientists need to be given the options to bring up innovation in the country. The youth has to nourish more entrepreneurs. Train drivers have to stop going on strike. To me, that s the only way to catch up with the rest of the world. Most french will retort that We Have the Best Social System. This is just rubbish fed with years or story telling on TV. Most modern countries have a social system which offers at least as much support to the poorest than the frenchone.The Nordic countries for instance are well ahead of us. My point is not of saying that social system is incompatible with free market and global economy, I do believe in the role of State to soften the sharp edge of the free economy. But the State must not be thought as a nurse ready to heal the tinies scars of the economy. People have to be-I m going to use a trendy word in modern economics - pro-active. More than a buzzword this attitude is essential to our country but in general to any individual who wants to live his life the way he wants. People can t expect to be assisted all the time, to be given work without the need to seek it, to be given money when they don t make enough money, to get more and more everyday. That s not the way economics nor life- is. That s one of the keys French people are assisted and expect too much from state.
TO BE CONTINUED
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