France on sunset boulevard

Every other decade the French stage a spectacle which confounds the world. They take to the streets in large numbers, pelt rocks at cops, vandalise shops, overturn cars, rent the air with angry slogans, plaster the walls with psychedelic graffiti and paralyse public transport. But once calm returns and order reigns after a couple of weeks of ‘revolutionary’ fervour, they revert to their favourite past-time. Which is to rant against politicians and whine about a country going down the tube.

This time has been no different. The general strike on Tuesday marked the culmination of a protest movement that had started 10 days earlier when Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin announced a new law ostensibly designed to curb growing joblessness among the youth. In keeping with his imperious style of functioning, de Villepin, who hopes to succeed Jacques Chirac as president, did not bother to consult either the students or the powerful trade unions.

The law sought to encourage the private sector to hire people under the age of 26 on a two-year contractual basis. During this period they would have the right to get rid of an employee without an explanation. In a country which has long enjoyed an extensive social security network and rigid labour legislation, the prime minister’s move seemed to be nothing short of a provocation. It appeared to be a first step towards dismantling a system which distinguished France from the Anglo-Saxon hire-and-fire model of capitalism.

In the weeks and months ahead the latest round of angry demonstrations are bound to affect the fortunes of leading political figures. It will further weaken president Chirac—his ratings continue to slump in every opinion poll —and seriously compromise de Villepin’s chances to triumph in next year’s presidential election. His rival, the interior minister, Nicholas Sarkozy, has swiftly distanced himself from the prime minister in the hope of gaining the upper hand. But the wily Chirac might yet outwit him. Rumours have been making the rounds in Paris that the president might give ‘Sarko’ de Villepin’s job and thus leave him to clean up the mess.

The mass actions have come as a shot in the arm for the opposition Socialists. They have been a faction-ridden lot for years, lurching from event to event without a sense of direction, unable to inspire their flock, unwilling to learn from past mistakes and clueless about how to adapt to a world in the throes of unprecedented metamorphosis. But now they are convinced that their hour has struck.

The one who is likely to benefit the most is Segolene Royale, a bright, energetic woman who has proved her worth as an efficient administrator endowed with sound political instincts. But she still faces an uphill task if only because when push comes to shove the extreme right, which holds a considerable sway over the electorate, could well opt for the candidate of the ruling party.

These political ups and downs do matter a great deal. But for the world at large, the real question is what the latest bout of turmoil says about the state of France. It is, alas, bleak to the point of despair. The precipitate growth of a racist and xenophobic right-wing over the past four years is an indication that the French, unable to come to terms with their reduced stature in Europe, let alone in the world, are turning for solace to a past which is no more than a depressing caricature of itself.

This much was also obvious when they said ‘no’ to the Constitution of the European Union in a referendum last year. Equally significant was the outburst of violence in the Muslim-dominated suburbs of major cities last autumn. It exposed the shortcomings of France’s much-vaunted model of ‘assimilating’ its citizens of foreign origin in the social and cultural mainstream.

And so you have a country which finds it hard to compete in a globalised economy. This demands an overhauling of the bureaucracy, of labour laws and of the social security system. Neither the elite, nor the political parties, let alone the trade unions are ready for this. It is safer to rail against the Americans than to ask citizens to tighten their belts and turn more competitive.

But this can only bring cold comfort to the French. They once strode the world stage in a stellar role. But now they find (in the words of the philosopher Regis Debray) that God is American, the heavens are Chinese, the rising sun is Japanese, the Cosmic Absolute is Indian…. And they fear that increasingly they will have to settle for the role of a minor character actor in the play that history is presently scripting. O tempora! O mores!

Email: dileep.p@apcaglobal.com