comment and analysis
Liberation looks at how the crisis might now unfold
An article from today's Liberation which analyses the state of play amongst the major players in the French political crisis as the youth revolt grows.
The article was written by Marie-Joelle Gros, Vanessa Schneider and Francois Wenz-Dumas.
After yesterday’s mobilization, without precendent since 1995, the government is finding it difficult to come up with an exit after two month of crisis.
One in four youth unemployment figure disputed
Our interview with economist and European labour trends specialist Florence Lefresne about the CPE.
In the interview Lefresne, of the Institute of Economic and Social Research, questions the widely reported one in four youth unemployment figures that have been used repeatedly as a justification for the CPE.
Afghan sounds - British troops and oil pipelines...
It was recently announced that yet more British troops are heading for Afghanistan.
George Bush and his malleable sidekick, Tony Blair , have decreed that in their crusade to save the world (especially the USA and UK) from the far-reaching tentacles of terrorism - and heroin[ism] - Afghanistan must be tamed.
Statement from an occupier of EHESS
A statement by one of the participants in the occupation of the Paris university EHESS, which was broken by police this morning.
Friday morning, the Graduate Center for Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris was cleared by riot police at 6am and left "ransacked." 72 people were taken into custody, asked for identification, questioned and released. By 11am, most of those detained were released and thus far, no charges have been filed.
A week in Montpellier
A first hand account of events in Montpellier this week, sent to us from an English resident who has been involved in events there.
16/03/2006 Montpellier : Demonstration, Occupation, Police and Thieves
Naima Bouteldja: Expect More Confrontations
An abridged version of this article was published in The Guardian newspaper this week, however Naima Bouteldja sent the full version to libcom.org.
Naima Bouteldja is a French journalist and researcher for the Transnational Institute.
The changing face of the anti-CPE movement
The CPE France blog takes a look back at the past fortnight and traces the changing face of the anti-CPE protests.
From being a university student led movement centred around their campus buildings, the protest has become something '1000 times as revolutionary' according to France Soir.
Interview with an eye-witness on the nature of anti-CPE movement
An interview with an eye-witness on the nature of the demonstrations against the CPE in France.
1. Is France on the threshold of a new May 68?
Today (March 20th) I would answer NO but everything can change if the working class (and specially those of the private sector) decides to make a move. Here are a number of differences with May 68.
Manoeuvring Sarkozy floats compromise over CPE
Nicolas Sarkozy, the Interior Minister and General Secretary for the UMP (the party of the government) has spoken his mind for the first time on the issue of the CPE.
Villepins rival for the leadership of the centre-right going into the 2007 Predidential election can now be seen to be manoeuvring into a position of safety, out of the firing line, as this crisis deepens.
The following text is mostly drawn from an article by Le Monde.
"1,000 times more revolutionary than '68"
The BBC has published a summary of todays French press editorials.
You can read them here.
France Soir, for example stated: "What started as an imitation of '68 is now looking 1,000 times more revolutionary"
