French Politics

Well here's something you won't usually hear me talking about by any means - politics.

Today is French Election day.  Mr Chirac will be out and it will probably be Mr Sarkozy.
On a side note - I find it interesting that the French won't work on a Sunday, most everything is closed, but Sundays are always their official voting days.  Smart really - nobody is working on a Sunday so it increases the chances they'll go to the poll.  Unlike our Super Tuesdays in the states.

It will be interesting to see what happens when Mr Sarkozy takes office.  It's not official yet, elections are today, Sarkozy vs Ms Royal, but he is leading in the poles by 10% points right now so it's looking pretty good for him.

Ms Royal wants France to stay the same, basically.  Mr Sarkozy has ideas of doing away with the 35hr work week and allowing people to work overtime.  And from what I've read, he doesn't intend to make it a slow transition - more like as fast as possible.  This is seriously going to rock the French world.  They don't like change. Sure, they may, possibly, after a caraffe of vino or 4 at lunch, admit that they need change, they don't like change when it actually happens to them. The unions are abundant here in France, and the known way to get anything done is by striking, and sympathy strikes are well known. The unions have publically said they would comfront the government if he wins.  France is ridiculously sympathetic to the workers, it's nearly impossible to fire a French worker. He wants to change it to balance the scale a little more.  This would also help with the huge unemployment problem.  Especially in the youth - they can't hardly get a grocery store check out clerk job because Sylvie and the other ladies have been in that position for the last 30 years slinging groceries at innocent customers then impatiently waiting for them to finish bagging their own groceries and pay so she can abuse the next customer.

Almost everything is centered around this employment contract that every French employee receives upon starting work at a job.  You can't open a bank account or get an apartment without presenting your work contract.  Dominic deVillepin tried to change that fall of 05 and riots ensued. I don't blame them - that may help to get them a job in the short term, but the new short term contract wouldn't be accepted to open the bank account or get a lease.  Thisngs change slow here - just because the govnt says they have this new contract doesn't mean everyone is going to immediately change their policies and accept it like they did the long term, impossible to fire contract that currently exhists.


I really hope Sarkozy wins and I am anxious to see what France will look like in the next year.

This may be a bad summer to visit France.  Generally if anyone strikes, the transportation sector strikes - trains and buses specifically.

If you're interested, here's a good article I came across
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;jsessionid=NMXKZNJEOPQPDQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/opinion/2007/05/05/do0501.xml&page=1