French Leadership

Since the French Constitutional Council ruled the Contrat de Premier Embauche (CPE) was constitutional, it's now time to see how much of a leader Chirac is. He's going to do a television address tonight to discuss the unrest and hopefully outline his reasons for signing the bill. Of course the Socialists and students aren't behind CPE.

"You can be both legally right and politically wrong," Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, a Socialist Party member of parliament, said on the French television network, LCI. The Socialists had appealed the law to the constitutional court.

"It is the responsibility of the head of state to hear the growing exasperation of the country," said Bruno Julliard, head of the national student union, which has been at the forefront of the protests. "The president has the opportunity to put an end to a very damaging crisis. If he enacts the law rapidly, it will both be a sign of disdain and an irresponsible attitude."

If Chirac signs the law, the labor unions will strike again next Tuesday. Chirac must balance the short-term harm of signing the law with the long-term benefit his country will receive. Hopefully it will be a first step for more free market reforms.

Update: Chirac is going to sign the contract but weaken it with future amendments.

Chirac said the amendments would shorten to one year the period in which youths could be fired and require employers to give a reason for dismissing them.