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03/21/2009: "A hardening of street protests in France worries the government"

WELL over 1m protesters took to the streets across France on Thursday March 19th as part of a day of action in defence of jobs and salaries. All eight of France's big unions joined the protests, which drew more support than a similar day of action in January. Train drivers, postmen, teachers, university lecturers, town-hall employees, carmakers, oil workers, supermarket cashiers took part. Among the unions' demands were an end to public-sector job cuts, a boost to the minimum wage and a reversal of tax cuts for the rich.

The government of Nicolas Sarkozy is worried not just by crowd numbers. With Mr Sarkozy's popularity low, public opinion seems to be shifting. For a time voters were turning against strikers, but now they may be swinging behind them. Fully 74% said they supported this week's protests, according to BVA, a pollster, up from 69% in January.

The militant tinge to the protests is new. As the Socialists fail to convince, the hard left is reviving, and with it class warfare. It has a new champion in Olivier Besancenot, a postman - himself on strike - and leader of the New Anti-Capitalist Party. One poll now suggests that he is the most credible alternative to Mr Sarkozy, ahead of any Socialist. Mr Besancenot does not miss a chance to side with strikers. He talks of workers' "exploitation", denounces Mr Sarkozy for pandering to the rich, urges "revolt" and calls on the French to copy the rolling strikes in Guadeloupe.

[ There is no validity in being "anti-capitalist" without opposing the importation of cheap labour and thus being anti-immigrant. No doubt Bescanot refuses to see this and has some confused notions of global equality and brotherhood of man. Still it is good that he is so effectively opposing Sarkozy - and would have to be an improvement on him. The rise of radical politics shows that people are uncomfortable enough to look for new solutions and that is likely to lead them to those who in fact have those solutions. ]

http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13348655&fsrc=rss