In a truly unbelievable move, French labor unions and students have told PM Dominique de Villepin and President Jacques Chirac they must repeal the controversial First Job Contract law by April 15. They made no mention of consequences if the demand is not met.
I am stunned by this move. Who do these guys think they are? Surely they know they have forced a showdown with de Villepin. Apparently, the unions think they have enough momentum and support behind them to blatantly challenge the power of the elected government like this.
The really sad part is de Villepin (who's career is over, regardless) will probably cave. One hopes not, as the repercussions for democratically elected governments in general, and for France in particular, could be disastrous. An elected government must represent, and answer to, the people, but this is silly. This is nothing more than extortion. It is absolutely the antithesis of the way a democratic government is supposed to work and is, as the Founding Fathers would say, "tyranny of the majority" in the worst sense.
The equally sad part is this law, or something like it, is desperately needed in France. The French unemployment rate is the highest in Western Europe, and it won't get any better until hiring an employee no longer means the business has to keep paying that employee for life, regardless of his/her performance.
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