April 10, 2006
Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys Surrender...Again!
This time, the French government (I use that term loosely) hasn't surrendered to a foreign enemy, but to French protesters.
PARIS - President Jacques Chirac, bowing to intense pressure from students and unions, announced plans Monday to replace a contested employment law that set off massive protests and strikes across France.
Chirac's office said a new plan focusing on youths from troubled backgrounds will replace the "first job contract," which would have made it easier for employers to fire any worker aged under 26.
The move comes as a blow to Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who championed the law despite weeks of protests across the country.
Acting on a proposal from Villepin, his longtime protege, Chirac "decided to replace" a key provision of the law with a measure aimed at "youths in difficulty," a statement from Chirac's office said.
Changes to the law would have to address the problem of youth unemployment, which stands at 22 percent, quell the protests and also find a way of saving face for Villepin who has championed the law, commentators said.
I actually had some hope that France was trying to turn its stagnant economy around with this small but important step. By allowing businesses to fire new hires if they don't work out, businesses are more likely to give young people a chance, therefore easing some of the unemployment that has crippled the French economy.
By caving in to protesters, Chirac is only hastening the demise of said economy. And, the country's slide into irrelevance continues. But hey, they get six weeks of vacation!
Do you realize that the folks on the American left think that this socialist model is the way of the future? Just take a look at France and think carefully before agreeing.
On the bright side, perhaps the French press can find a way to blame this on President Bush.
Hat tip: Iowa Voice
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