Current events in France – Actualité en France


Jennifer 04/09/2006.13:51:08
"Hi, What is your take on how the government has been handling the tricky situation of the CPE so far? Recently I read that the popularity of Villepin and Chirac and Sarzosky have declined a lot, and that they are becoming discredited. What would you personally want to see the government do to solve this problem in the most efficient way? -Jennifer"

Lisa 04/09/2006.16:08:42
"I was wondering what the students at Ecole Polytechnique thought about the CPE. Since it does not affect you guys as much, you probably have a more objective view (and also because there are a decent number of international students). Can you think of better solutions to France's unemployment?"

Brandon 04/09/2006.16:28:13
"It appears to me that the student protesters want a total repeal of the bill for the CPE, while the govenment has intentions to compromise and modify the proposal. In your opinion, do you see the protests stopping with a reasonable compromise, or will the young people be dissatisfied until the law is totally eliminated? ~Brandon"

Hashem 04/09/2006.16:59:10
"I have read that Villepin is planning to present Chirac with a proposal about the CPE tomorrow (Monday). What do you expect the proposal will include? (If you read this after Sunday night): What is the immediate French reaction to the proposal? Is it sufficient?"

JinSuk 04/09/2006.17:20:04
"Hi! I am amazed that the CPE problem has gone on this long for about three months. How do you feel about it especially going to elite institution and not having worry about such problems? In my opinion, I think CPE is actually a good idea. It seems like that during those two years that an able worker can really show themselves to be worth the effort and money especially in France it seems that jobs are a long term committment. Jin Kim"

Natalia 04/09/2006.20:58:14
"Hello everyone, The more I research the topic of the CPE, the more of a positive side I see to it. It seems to be a good way to provide more opportunities in France in an attempt to eventually greatly decrease unemployment. The only thing that seems completely unfair to me is the lack of restrictions involved with it. I feel that there should be limitations to the reasons for which people are allowed to be fired from their jobs. Does anyone know the reason or tactic for this lack of restriction?"

Josephine 04/09/2006.23:26:39
"Since many questions on the policy have been asked, I'm going to pose a question on the demonstration itself as a way to express the population's opinions to the government. I was wondering if there was an alternative way to dialogue with the government (not just for the current case of CPE but also in general cases). In France, is there any official forum or some form of organization where the French people can engage in dialogues with representatives from the government? When the general public has an opinion on a government policy, whether it's positive or negative, in what form do people express it?"

Adriana 04/09/2006.23:57:50
"Hi, I was wondering how the protests have affected daily life. I know some universities have been paralized and exams have been posponed. I've also read that students have blocked streets and train stations, and the way it's shown it seems as though the protesters are paralizing the city. I was wondering to what degree this is true and also who it is affecting the most?"

Teodora 04/10/2006.08:15:04
"Hey, i would also be really interested to know to what extent the demonstrations are affecting daily. I also saw many people being taken away by the police. I was wondering if these people were being arrested and if they were, what happens to them? Are they fined or put in jail or just released after the demonstration? I also saw that negotiaions between the students and the government had stopped and I was wondering what conclusions, if any, these negotiations had come to. I was also wondering if there would be more of this type of dialogue between student represetatioves and the government in the future."

Ashley 04/10/2006.08:39:07
"It seemed to me that the young people are more concerned about being fired "for no reason," than being fired for just causes. Do you think the CPE would actually enable employers to fire people without cause? And considering that this is their fear, do you think their actions are justified or have they gone too far? I was also wondering if you have any thoughts on what types of jobs would be most affected by the CPE. It seems that it would affect positions like waitering and others requiring little education more than, for instance, a job in the science/technology sector that a person might obtain coming out of Polytechnique (even though each is a "premiere embauche"), but perhaps there's more to it than that. There is not always a perfect correlation among job demand, job security, and level of education. Also, what do you think about the "trial period"? Good compromise? Bad idea? Too long? Too short?"

Adrian 04/10/2006.08:43:25
"Hi to all of you. My question you could say is rooted in my ignorance thus far of French culture and history. This is the first time that I've heard of such big demonstrations in France. Is it usually common for a large number of people to protest in the streets like that when a law is passed that is majoritarily unpopular? Have you guys had such big manifestations in the past (maybe last 5 or 10 years)? -Adrian"

Pierre 04/10/2006.09:06:46
"Salut Adrian, ne t'inquiete pas, c'est normal qu'il y ait des manifestations. Elles sont choses courantes en France, meme si celles des dernieres semaines etaient tres importantes. De toute facon, elles sont finies puisque le gouvernement a retire le texte! Pierre"

Guillaume 04/10/2006.09:37:45
"Bonjour tout le monde. Quelques petites explications sur le fonctionnement des institutions française : Josephine : tous les mercredi est organisée une séance de "questions au gouvernement" ; les députés de toutes les circonscriptions de France peuvent interroger les ministres sur les sujets qui préoccupent leurs électeurs. C'est le principal lieu de dialogue et de débat avec le gouvernement en dehors des périodes de crises. Teodora : lorsau'ils arretent un fauteur de trouble, les policiers peuvent l'emprisonner en "garde à vue" pour 24h au maximum (un peu plus pour les affaires de terrorismes) ; ensuite il comparait directement devant le juge s'il est considéré comme dangereux, ou il est relaché pour ^etre jugé plus tard."

Jennifer 04/10/2006.17:49:23
"Hi all, I guess everyone has heard the news by now, the French government has decided to retract the CPE. Now what? I'd like to know what the French students think. -Jennifer"

Brock 04/10/2006.23:27:14
"Ok, I have a definite opinion of CPE , but its been formed from the outside looking in, and I would love to hear the response of a local. From what I’ve gathered, France is a tiger in the global economy, in 2005 France was the third largest source of cross-border takeovers. Also in many areas French based international corporations are showing record profits. Also, it seems that there is no shortage in demand for those who are highly educated in technical fields… I read somewhere that employment after graduation for the grandes écoles is somewhere upwards of 96%! So for a part France, globalization and the free market economy are paying handsome dividends. Are these people raising a cheer in support of labor reform and we just don’t hear about it in the US? On the other hand, it seems that for the uneducated, or less technically educated, full time employment is not an option anyway. According to the economist , 23% of people aged from 15-26 are unemployed, and of those who find employment, 64% are on short-term employment contracts. Thus it seems to me, that CPE doesn’t really change anything. Anyway, that’s my 2 cents… let me know what you think. Brock"