France brought to a standstill by “social terrorism”

Days before it is to host the European Championship, France is once again convulsed by strikes and violence, said Michaela Wiegel in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. In 2010 the country was paralysed by protests against Nicolas Sarkozy’s pension reforms. Now his left-wing successor François Hollande faces equally crippling protests over the “El Khomri law”, a modest reform framed by labour minister Myriam El Khomri that allows employers to extend the 35-hour week. Since even many socialist MPS oppose it, the government bypassed parliament and passed it by decree. Yet despite months of street protests; despite the blockade of oil refineries by the powerful CGT union, which has led to long queues at service stations; and despite the “booming” demands by CGT chief Philippe Martinez for a general strike, the government is standing firm. The police assault it launched last week on strikers blockading the Fos-sur-mer oil refinery looked like “civil war”. But Hollande is getting no help from the Right. Delighted to see him weakened before next year’s elections, it’s denounced the reform as “ill-prepared” and “amateurish”.

The CGT’S behaviour amounts to “social terrorism” – not a whit less dangerous to the state than the recent attacks by Islamic extremists, said Le Figaro (Paris). A single union can hardly claim to represent all French workers. Yet determined to destroy all attempt at reform as a matter of principle, the CGT is “holding the nation hostage”. It’s not as if El Khomri changes anything much, said Laurent Joffrin in Libération (Paris). Far from the all-out assault on workers’ rights that the union claims, it just allows employers to negotiate extra hours with employees, who will get generous overtime; it doesn’t touch salaries or working conditions. Is it really worth bringing the entire country to a standstill for that? The union’s “all-ornothing” strategy is a huge gamble, considering that even larger-scale action failed to force Sarkozy to dump his pension reforms. Nor is the strike being heeded by its rival, the large CFDT union, which feels it has extracted enough concessions. Hollande is in an impossible position, said Nicolas Beytout in L’opinion (Paris). If he caves, he’ll be a lame duck for his remaining year, his credibility wrecked. On the other hand, we’ve seen scant sign of an economic upturn, and if he doesn’t budge, any fragile hope of one will be snuffed out by the mounting chaos. Either way, there’s already an “end of reign” atmosphere in France.

Even many businesses think the costs of further strife outweigh the few benefits the reform will bring, said Swaha Pattanaik on Reuters. com. The reforms have been so watered down, it’s now unclear whether a company that wants to fire workers would be able to do so without heavy costs. And of course, the longer the standoff continues, the greater the damage to economic growth. There is also the political risk of the turmoil aggravating discontent with the mainstream parties and fuelling support for the far-right National Front. “France ablaze”: a strange result for a measure we were told would “improve social dialogue”, said Le Monde (Paris). But it does serve to underline the need for a radical change in the organisation of the workplace – for the French to follow the lead of their German neighbours and let unions share responsibility for key decisions with employers.

France is now isolated in Western Europe in its inability to reform its economy, said Marco Moussanet in Il Sole 24 Ore (Milan). Even Greece buckled down last week and agreed to more austerity cuts. Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland have all done so. Germany carried out its own tough welfare and labour reforms years ago. But France went in the opposite direction with its “wicked” decision to institute a 35-hour week. The one reform Hollande has achieved in four years is the liberalising of passenger road transport laws – useful but hardly revolutionary. Even attempts to allow some shops to open on Sundays have stalled in the face of union intransigence. French workers remain determined to protect their privileges and guarantees, even through “blackmail” and the “abuse of power”.