‘A Drift Toward Monarchy’
How
the French
See Sarkozy By Janice Valls-Russell
PARIS the atmosphere of solidarity. And, indeed, without some company closing down or
O
N MARCH 19, an esti- solidarity is probably the issue at stake making hundreds of workers redundant,
mated 2 million to 3 mil- here this spring. rising unemployment is naturally a mat-
lion people took to the Slogans and banners overwhelmingly ter of concern. But Fillon’s reductive
streets in France, boost- defended France’s public sector. Created analysis of the discontent merely empha-
ed by opinion polls indi- in the aftermath of World War II, it is per- sized once more the unprecedented rift
cating they had the backing of more than ceived as helping to lessen the inequality that has yawned open, in less than two
70 per cent of the country’s population. of access to higher education, health care years, between French public opinion
Nondemonstrators lined the sidewalks and welfare services. In the present re- and the national administration.
or waved support from balconies. The ac- cession, the priority is popularly seen as A few days later, addressing an au-
tive participants came from all walks of being not so much to fight for higher dience almost exclusively composed of
life: teachers, nurses, students, post- wages as to preserve a system that members of his Center-Right Union for
al workers, railway men, shop is considered a vital bulwark a Popular Movement, President Nicolas
assistants, factory workers, against precariousness and Sarkozy spoke about the need for a “mor-
doctors, and magistrates. social disruption. (“Reces- al approach” to public life and democ-
Young or elderly, retired or sion,” it should be noted, is racy. Yet he sounded unconvincing and
unemployed, they marched a nonword for the current unconvinced when, surprisingly, he talked
arm in arm with colleagues, government. Economy Min- about the distress of those hardest hit
friends, partners, and their ister Christine Lagarde pre- by the crisis. Their plight, he said, could
adult, teenage or young chil- fers to speak of “negative leave no one indifferent. A poll taken
dren. growth.”) after his speech showed that his popu-
The mood was fraternal, lit- The evening of March 19, larity rating remained low, around 36
eralizing the need to close ranks Prime Minister François Fillon per cent.
in a time of uncertainty and tried to undermine the Sarkozy’s own lifestyle is light years
crisis. After the rallies, success of the rallies away from that of the average French-
which lasted several and to circumscribe man. Following his election in May 2007,
hours in cities such as their motivations by he cruised the Mediterranean for sever-
Marseilles, Toulouse claiming they were es- al days on a rich industrialist’s yacht. At
and Montpellier, par- sentially demands for
ties lingered, as if un- higher wages. Because JANICE VALLS-RUSSELL writes regularly
willing to break up FRANÇOIS FILLON rarely a day goes by for the NL on French and Spanish affairs.
The New Leader March/April, 2009