PRAGOTI

US fashion magazine ‘Vanity Fair’ ranked the ‘smart’ French President Nicolas Sarkozy to be the 68th best-dressed person in the world along with Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt and English soccer hero David Beckham.Like the pied piper of Hamlin, Nicolas Sarkozy initially enchanted eminent figures on all sides with his verve and brio. The media were equally spellbound and joined in the mass hysteria. France was virtually hypnotized by their new President.

The scales began to fall from everyone’s eyes when the true nature of the sideshow was revealed. The magician was just a neo-liberal in disguise. This was clear from the first economic and social measures announced: reductions in tax on high incomes and death duties, a tax shield, medical franchises, longer working hours – the essence of neo-liberalism. And it was even clearer from Sarkozy’s speeches on 5 September, at the Medef (Mouvement des entreprises de France) business seminar, and on 18 September, the 40th anniversary of the AJIS, the association of social security reporters.

Sarkozy said that his government’s priority was to deal with the question of special pension schemes. According to him reforms in that sector was necessary without delay. He also declared of reviewing the Health service funding because the health insurance system could not cover everything. Some costs should be met by individual insurance schemes. In other words, patients must have private insurance as they do in the United States, where almost 50 million people have no health cover.

Sarkozy repeated that the 35-hour week rule would have to be abolished. He also proposed to end early retirement schemes, and introduce stronger and more effective procedures and sanctions against unemployed people who refused two job offers. The left condemned it as the greatest offensive to be mounted against the social security system in 50 years and urged the French people to rise in all-round protests.
The transport workers went on strike against the proposed reforms from 14th November. Rail, bus and metro services were completely stalled. The government employees also joined the strike. School teachers, postal employees, airport workers also came down to the streets to protest the neo liberal reforms.

The Sarkozy administration decided to give autonomous status to the French universities. And accordingly a bill was introduced in the French Parliament. Amidst huge protests from the chief opposition Socialist Party, Communist Party and the Green Party the bill was passed by a majority of 165-46 votes. The opposition said in the name of rendering autonomy the chief motive was the rampant commercialization in the sector of higher education. The French student community rose in vibrant protest against this move. It is to be noted that last year on this same issue a huge student movement was organized in Greece. The new bill says that the universities have to meet their own expenses. And for this purpose they can collect revenues.

Introduction of new courses and new appointments can be done by the concerned universities. Even collaboration with big business concerns is allowed. From the new bill it is clear that the main goal of the Sarkozy administration is to commercialize the entire higher education system.

Commercialization is not only an agenda in the sector of higher education. The same is very true for school education also. The Sarkozy government decided to sack 17,000 schoolteachers. After assuming office Sarkozy had declared that half of the government jobs would be reduced. This entire process is in consonance with that decision. The Sarkozy government hopes that within the next five years the total process of granting ‘autonomy’ to universities will be completed. The President of the Universities has been given more power by virtue of which they can appoint part time teaching and non-teaching faculty. They are also empowered of sacking these employees at any point of time. The part time employees will not get the benefit enjoyed by the government ones.
Mainly under the leadership of the leftist student organisations protest programmes started. Student Union Federation, Stalinist Union of Communist Students, Communist Youth, Revolutionary Communist League, National Students Union of France and other organisations are spearheading the struggle. A number of teacher’s organisations have also joined the movement. Joint platforms in the name of Collective Against The Autonomy Of The University have been formed. In 50 out of 84 universities students have taken up massive protest programmes.

Blockades are being organized in 30 universities. The only focal demand is the abolition of this black rule. The students have also expressed their solidarity with the workers struggles.

Vibrant movements from different sections of the society have greeted Nicolas Sarkozy, who feels proud to declare him to be a friend of US President George Bush. His new foreign policies are in consonance with the policies of Washington.Sarkozys Foreign Policy marks a revolutionary departure from Paris’s international position, as defined by De Gaulle in 1958 when the 5th Republic was established.

Sarkozy confirmed his support for President George W Bush and the neo-conservative hardliners, adding that the first and probably the most important challenge facing France was a clash between Islam and the West. Quite apart from the absurdity of stating the problem in these terms, there was not a word about Washington’s shortcomings or the damage caused by the failure to settle the dispute between the Israelis and the Palestinians. On Iran, his position – as stated by the French foreign secretary, Bernard Kouchner – is exactly the same as the State Department’s. War on Tehran is an option that may be considered and in preparation for that contingency, the Defence minister, Herve Morin, has let it be known that France may resume its full place in the integrated military structure of NATO.

Sarkozy is determined to take the country in the path of neo liberal reforms. But the ongoing protests by the students, workers and other sections of the society under the leadership of the Communist Party and Socialist Party is building up a steep resistance. The students and the workers organisations are confidant that with the everyday increasing protest the Sarkozy government will be forced to change its polices.

- By Ritabrata Banerjee, Editor Student Struggle.