November 26, 2002

Air strike chaos grips France

Thousands of flights have been cancelled and public transport disrupted in a mass walk-out by French air traffic controllers and other public sector workers.
[...]The mass protest has been called by unions angry at government moves towards privatisation, pension reforms and spending cuts.

Check out this companion story about attempts at privatization by the French Government:
French privatisation row explodes

France has been brought to a standstill by public sector strikes opposing the new government's privatisation plans, which could cause mass redundancies and the loss of employee benefits.
The government wants to use the money from privatisation to cuts taxes and reduce spending, something promised by the conservative Jean-Pierre Raffarin, before being elected prime minister in June.
But the commitments were made as sluggish economic growth was eating into tax receipts.
Constricted by the European Stability and Growth Pact, which allows a budget deficit of no more than 3% of GDP, the government urgently needs to raise money elsewhere.
During the election, the centre-right campaigned aggressively for privatisations, eyeing the cash that could be raised.
French unions do not quite see it the same way, fearing tens of thousands of redundancies and cuts to pensions as state industries fall into the hands of the financial markets.
Public sector workers protested on 3 October in the first major challenge to the plans being implemented by finance minister Francis Mer.
The latest strikes come after trucker drivers tried, but failed, to blockade the country on Monday in a dispute over wages.
The government, which said it was not prepared to see the economy suffer because of the dispute, feared if the truckers' demands were met, it would spark similar ones from public sector workers.
Industrial unrest contributed to the defeat of the last right-wing government in 1997, which led to five years of socialist rule
Workers from the railways, postal services, France Telecom, the Paris Metro, air traffic controllers, and civil servants have all joined the latest strike.
Unions have also called strikes at schools, social security offices, unemployment agencies, government ministries and state-run energy companies Electricite de France (EdF) and Gaz de France (GdF).

Merde! What a mess!
And if my economic instincts are right, this will only get WORSE as time goes on, not better!
France, like all of the EU countries, is caught in this Chinese finger puzzle-like vise between the demands of the EU and those of its own sovereign(?) nation, destined to meet neither.
Only six days ago, there was this story:
France sees bigger budget shortfall

France has raised its budget deficit forecast for 2002 to 2.8% of gross domestic product (GDP), one day after the European Commission issued the country with an "early warning" over its existing deficit.

The government of the eurozone's second biggest economy had previously forecast a 2.6% deficit this year.

The Commission, which polices the European Union's Growth and Stability Pact, on Tuesday also warned Germany it faced sanctions because its budget deficit is likely exceed the agreed upper limit of 3% this year.

There you have it: the "Twin Pillars" of the EU--France and Germany-- are most likely NOT going to reach their economic targets.
One wonders how the "smaller" EU countries will fare and if their deficits will be as bad or worse.
And what is the EU's way to punish bad economic performance? They plan to fine that country!
Brilliant! How's a country supposed to pay fines for economic "misbehavior" with money they obviously don't have in the first place?
Now that we're on the subject of La Belle France, there are 2 new magnifique French Anti-Idiotarian bloggers in the Blogosphere: MerdeinFrance and TheDissidentFrogmen.
Bienvenus, Mes Amis!
Y'all go over and make them feel wanted, OK? With all the Tranzi Socialism and rampant Idiotarianism in Western Europe, they're bound to be lonely trying to fight it!