France has many serious problems. I believe that foremost among these are their government’s socialist policies and the long-term effects of their colonial exploits in French-Algeria.
During the Socialist era, a number of policies were implemented, one of which was the heavy social security tax (about 42% paid for by employers on each employee salary). This tax was used to “reward” the unemployed and the middle class with generous social benefits. True, a government has to look after its people, but unfortunately, these benefits are not only too generous that the government and people’s taxes are hard-put to sustain them, but also these benefits have been exploited by the champagne socialists (the gauche caviar).
So you find the French are better paid to do nothing, because starting salaries are less than what the government gives to the unemployed. You will find the French going on strikes and demonstrating against any adverse reforms on these benefits. Ultimately, the working class are the losers because jobs are few and ill-paid, employers being constrained with financial and government limitations. There is an uncommonly high unemployment in France.
The other issue is the immigrant problem. Algeria was a French colony, and like most colonialists, the French took advantage of the natural resources of the country and treated its citizens as inferiors. The French government improved Algeria’s infrastructure and implemented modernising changes, but what the French government did and what the French as people did in Algeria were two different matters.
The French people exploited the Algerians, alienating them. Algerians rebelled, began to clamour for independence and set up the FLN, the National Liberation Front. When de Gaulle proposed a referendum, asking Algeria if they wanted independence, the colonialists French who were against independence, set up the OAS, a terrorist organisation whose objectives not only included a hostile stance towards Algerians, but also to bring down the French government. The brutality of this organisation which involved the slaughter of Algeria’s civil population, is unprecedented.
Many Algerians fled across the Mediterranean sea to France. They constitute the largest immigrant class in the country. Many of them were granted French citizenship, but they are stigmatised all the same. And like the French lower social class, they also take advantage of the benefits of socialist policies. They are resented for this even more.
It would take a very complex solution to solve these two issues. The French have a penchant for paralysing infrastructure by going on strikes. If labour syndicates were limited in certain capacities from doing this, then socialist policies can finally be reworked on. This will require a firm hand, and absolutely necessary to unspoil a spoiled class of people. But we do not wish for a government dominated by the rich, but neither do we wish a government shackled by the poor.
There is a law against racism in France, but however overt this is, racism is widely practised. Education could be the key for both sides. Algerians must be taught to adapt to French culture. The French must learn to be more understanding of their plight.
Oh, if it were only as effortless as it sounds…
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To extraordinary circumstances we must apply extraordinary remedies.
— Napoleon Bonaparte
February 22, 2008 at 3:56 am
Wish I had the talent to write such posts. This is a grave situation not only in France but it has become a lingering problem in other parts of the world. Racism and hypocrisy are only the upshoots of the repercussions associated with it.
May 20, 2009 at 12:08 am
Hey great article! I am using this as a resource in my school project for 10 problems that france faces. Thank You
February 26, 2010 at 10:46 am
This is a great article.
But why did the unemployment rate go up? Did people lose their job or were they just to lazy to get a job?
Thanks. This really helped me on my school research about France’s major issue.
March 9, 2010 at 12:15 pm
I am a French Algerian woman and I had been living for over 20 years in France, I learned english while I was in UK for 2 years.
I read you article, I agree with lots of points, but you don’t live in France and you have no idea about what’s going on, you are insulting french people of being racists, I am an algerian woman and I am the first one to also defend France, you don’t know what’s going on in France, you are insulting my country.
“Algerians must be taught to adapt to French culture. The French must learn to be more understanding of their plight”,you are having a general idea,
Have you ever lived in france? Do you really know the exact problem?
“If labour syndicates were limited in certain capacities from doing this, then socialist policies can finally be reworked on”, this is exactly the opposite, whatever….
Thank you for reading my comment, sorry my english is not the best to talk about it, but I am talking as a french-Algerian and tehre is lots of things you just don’t know.
Thank you.
March 27, 2010 at 10:17 am
You can’t be over 20 years old. You sound like some 14 year-old kid who hasn’t seen the real world. And you say you live in France? And you don’t see the racism around you? Where do you live? In the Arab quarter? Well then, you won’t find it there, of course.
And you say France is your country. Tell that to a French person, and watch their reaction. Why do you think France has laws against racism? Because it’s there or not there?
September 21, 2011 at 1:08 am
Ummm, I think you have a point about Charhrazed going on a little more than needed. But as a fifteen year old, I dont think you should steriotye 14 year olds like that. I’m recently fifteen, and I’ve seen most things adults haven’t. I did really like your facts in your article though. It was VERY helpful. Thank you!
November 16, 2010 at 9:45 am
This is a great article it helped alot on my paper about france (:
November 18, 2010 at 6:46 am
This article really helped me get out of a lot trouble, and out of class faster!!!!
April 15, 2011 at 9:07 am
thanks for the help , and those who put facts there to . Alot of us probably want to write like you sofisticated ,and enteligant people do . (please excuse my spelling) Thankyou sooooo much you guys you saved me ALOT of time . Gracias Amego and Amegas !
November 19, 2012 at 5:52 pm
your article is very concise, well i just hope that it was written in enumeration type so that i could easily copy it to my assignment. well, anyway, thanks to you! im almost done with my assignment! jenna
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