My prediction for 2020… the return of solidarity in Europe
MOMENTOUS events are taking place in France, the ailing heart of Europe, as we enter 2020. You will no doubt have seen images from the Gilet Jean protests, where iconic Parisian landmarks have provided a stark backdrop to riots, clouds of teargas and thousands of yellow vests.
Now, France has been paralysed by mass strikes, and nationwide demonstrations against Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms. Even the Eiffel Tower has been closed for business.
Of course, pension reforms are the tip of the iceberg. The French state has been in a struggle to discipline the workers’ movement for many years. In 2006, when the First Employment Contract was introduced, it too was met by protest with an insurrectionary quality. The legislation would have made it easier to sack young workers. In the end, the government lost. Indeed, we can go back to the strike wave of 1995, also over pension reforms, which forced the government to concede. Victories beget victories.
And, it is true that the imagery of the protests and strikes captures the imagination, regardless of one’s political persuasion. Indeed they come as part of a global wave of revolt. As Gideon Rachman aptly puts it in the Financial Times: “Certain years in history — 1848, 1917, 1968, 1989 — conjure up images of street protests, mass demonstrations and revolutionary turmoil. When historians put 2019 in perspective, they may also declare it a vintage year for popular unrest.”
But it is underneath the, albeit breathtaking, images that we can see how deep the roots of rebellion in France are planted – roots that could blossom international consequences. Acts of solidarity have sprung up, often in dramatic and compassionate ways.
Joining transport workers, teachers, public and private sector employees, the workers of the Electricity Company of France are also on strike. As a means of showing the strength of position they hold – wielding strategic leverage on behalf of the movement – general assemblies of electrical workers voted to arrange localised power outages. But at the same time, they switched tens of thousands of the poorest households to the lowest electricity tariff. In Lyon, 80,000 users benefited. Defending the action, electricity workers rallied under the idea that energy should be affordable for all, arguing that ‘energy is not a commodity but an essential good, whose access must be guaranteed to all.”
This move has angered politicians and big business who decry it as a crime. On the other hand, it was met with support among huge swathes of the population, who are now in an entrenched stand off with Macron. The strike movement is truly national in character, and the longest running industrial action in more than 30 years. Indeed, this may turn into the longest running strike action in French history.
Strikes on this scale not only require the organisational capacities of the unions themselves, but a broader social movement. The notion of ‘solidarity’ between workers beyond their immediate sectional interests is something which many on the right of politics say has disappeared. But solidarity has been in abundance. Weeks on end without pay, after all, requires a steady flow of financial and morale boosting support. One online Crowdfunder has raised 1.7 million euros. Collections are conducted on mass demonstrations – which involve people who are not taking strike action
directly, but who see themselves as part of the opposition to the pension reforms.
One gets the impression, that despite the union hierarchy insisting the movement is solely about this question, that there is a generalised anti-government, anti-austerity momentum galvanising around the immediacy of the strike demands.
It touches all parts of French society. In a quite moving display, in equal parts majestic and determined, ballet dancers performed outside the Paris Opera house on Christmas Eve. The dancers, themselves on strike, gave onlookers an incredibly poignant rendition of Swan Lake, as a banner fluttered in the background declaring “culture is in danger.’’ As one striker explained: “If you want to continue to see beautiful dancers on stage, we can’t continue to age 64, it’s not possible.’’ Indeed the whole of French
Opera is part of the strike. Opera houses are closed, while free open air concerts have emerged. This raises deeper questions about access to the arts, the role of culture, and the role of the masses in generating new arenas for the enjoyment of such pursuits.
All such moments are present in any genuine uprising. Across the world we see how dynamic the process of rebellion is, whether it’s guitarists assembling to play the songs of communist singer Victor Jara – who was murdered by Pinochet – in front of tens of thousands in Santiago, or the women leading the movement in Sudan. A movement which started over rising bread prices, but which led to the overthrow of President Omar Hassan al-bashir, largely organised by women fighting for democracy and dignity, in the midst of marginalisation and sexual violence.
Back to France. The CGT union is urging a general strike on January 9th. French
ports were shut down for several hours on December 30th. These are official strikes, but the movement also has a sense of its own agency. And support for the movement has according to some polls risen, just as the action has escalated. One recent poll puts public support for the strikers at 62%. In another poll 46% blamed Macron for the situation, compared to 26% who blamed the unions.
It would be foolhardy, though, not to recognise the obstacles ranged against the movement. The loss of earnings at this time of year especially is a real pressure. And yet there is a deeper meaning to events than this.
As one railway driver, who is losing around 120 euros a day puts it: “My kids are proud of me and that is what counts!” Meanwhile, for the French state – known for its brutal approach to dealing with demonstrations – the truncheon is playing big role. The union general secretary of the CGT Energy branch in Lille was arrested and prosecuted, as electric workers are targeted for repression. No doubt the redistribution of kilowatts is a feature in this.
If this movement triumphs, it will send a message across Europe. It will signify the return of the mass strike as a means to resist an oligarchic elite. It will mean that in the coming decade such action will become more prevalent, as the institutions struggle to meet the challenges of the 21st century and as the widening gap between rich and poor is underlined by further shocks to the economic system. As one banner held aloft on a demonstration demanding dignified pensions read: “Fight together, or suffer alone.” My prediction for 2020: the return of solidarity.
Across the world we see how dynamic the process of rebellion is