EURSOC - News and comment from Europe

Europe Round-Up

French strikes, Spanish-US clash on seas, Italians bemoan US justice system, Conservative Muslims tell Tories "Iran needs nukes." And more...

As EURSOC predicted yesterday, the Sarkozy divorce beat yesterday's massive transport strike to the front pages of all the papers... with the exception of the left-wing Libération, which couldn't resist referring to both events with its cover "Divorce Social." Note how Libé reports that the trade unions responsible for yesterday's misery are demanding the "opening of negotiations on the reform of the special regimes." In France, bringing the country grinding to a halt is something the unions do as a statement of intent, rather than as an act of last resort.

Even the Guardian, Britain's closest equivalent of Libération, acknowledges that France is f*cked if Sarkozy can't introduce reform: "He cannot cave in the first time the unions flex their muscles. He was elected to reform labour laws, after a decade of failed attempts to do so."

While warning that Thatcherite strong-arm tactics won't keep public opinion on his side, the Guardian concludes, "France's action man has got to stop talking about reform and start delivering it."

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