Anti-CPE demonstration turns violent

Just talked to H who said ("It's been a bit exciting around here") that he got trapped by a huge anti-CPE demonstration over by the Bon Marché department store. It turned violent before his eyes, with hundreds of students and riot police facing off, a kiosk burned and the Hotel Lutétia vandalized. He said his eyes were streaming from the teargas.

My bet is that Villepin is going to lose on the CPE. In France the street always wins. Personally I think it's too bad not to give the CPE a chance. In other countries, students demonstrate to change the status quo, but in France they demonstrate to keep it-- even though it's visibly not working as a way to full employment. The French are taught to think like employees. Employees who are terrified of losing their jobs and can't imagine running their own show.

The photo is from straightfromthecask at Flickr.
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In another weird note, today it was announced that Jerry Lewis was made a Commander of the Legion of Honor today for his 80th birthday by the French Culture Minister (who no doubt kissed him on both cheeks as is his wont). This is not a joke! It's true.

Well, as Mark Twain said when a friend congratulated him on his Legion of Honor, "Few escape that distinction."

Comments

[marco]

the street doesn't always win... remember the new law that was passed last year concerning the pension reform? weeks of demonstrations didn't change anything and it was voted. anyway, let's see what happens on this one.

[Jean Lespinasse]

« In other countries, students demonstrate to change the status quo, but in France they demonstrate to keep it »

En France on vote la loi et on dit après qu'on est ouvert au dialogue et qu'on souhaite discuter. De Villepin n'a pas consulté, il est passé en force à l'assemblée, le débat est maintenant dans la rue.

[Sedulia]

Jean is right that the law was sneaked in, and that was probably a big mistake. Villepin knew it would be unpopular, although probably not quite how unpopular.

As an American, I feel the CPE is a return to common sense. It is normal everywhere for an employer to be able to fire an employee. The "iron rice bowl" is the main reason customers are treated badly in France. The problem is a mentality that says "I probably won't ever get another job, so I am going to make it impossible to fire me-- not by being a good employee, but by rioting in the street!"

But then I'm an "Anglo-Saxon."

[Matthew Rose]

It’s my experience that the French leaders of all stripes speak the language of economic expansion for small and medium sized enterprises. There’s no intellectual history here; capitalism is bad, even though that is essentially what makes France go round – in spite of its safety nets. It is very hard to launch a business here. In the US one can incorporate for about $45 in Delaware. Europe is risk averse, and this, in my crude opinion, has hurt the employment picture. What I could never understand is why anyone would want to work for a large inefficient corporation and not make something sleeker, smarter and way more efficient. I suppose it’s the guaranteed salary.

[Julo]

To me, the fundamental problem with the CPE is that it is only for young workers... I would agree to try a CPE for everyone, not only the young! Living in Paris, you know how it's hard to find an apartment or to obtain some money from the bank when you're not in CDI! That's why I will demonstrate tomorrow. I really think we have to make a big reform of work's right, but for everyone. That law is saying that young people are not able to work as good as older people : it's false, and you can see that in many good companies where there are many young people.

[Luderic]

It is very difficult to understand for Americans because the French is very different from the US one. We come from a feudal system background; people in France have always been used to working for their Lord who, in counterpart had the duty of protecting them against wars, invasions - and even plague!

Curiously enough this system is still very stong here. The only difference is that there is only one big Lord called The Government for which French People work 50% of their time and which provides them with full protection (Social security, pensions, unemployement money, etc.) in counterpart.

When someone loses his job here he is totally lost, because he his culturally trained to depend on the Lord and not to free himself from him (and create his own job, for instance).

And nobody has interest in changing this system: neither the Government that would disappear if such rules where broken, nor the people who prefer to trade a little bit of freedom for protection.

So far it has worked pretty well, the problem is now that the people don't work/produce enough to allow their Government to afford their protection.

That is why the big Lord is trying to make some drastic changes and drill some holes in the umbrella but people don't like when it starts raining on them... They say it - pretty loud - in the streets...