Europe catches a cold, or so goes the old expression. French society has been bankrupt for decades and in the coming years so too will its treasury, which given the cohesive nature of the European Union, could soon lead to a ripple affect across Europe.

France is an excellent case study in the ills of socialism and the dire straits all left leaning regimes will face at some point in time. France with its exceptionally high taxes and rigid economic controls demonstrates how attempts at socialized government lead to stagnation and a lack of innovation. The French government imposes a host of draconian restrictions on domestic businesses, none more outlandish than harsh restricts on terminating employment.

In France it is nearly impossible to dismiss an employee. These tenured employees range from janitors, to managers to engineers etc. An employee is immune from firing even in the midst of gross incompetence; as such businesses are hesitant to hire new employees for fear of the unknown. And because France imposes further restricts on the length of time an employee can work (even voluntarily), French industry, like its agriculture, is notoriously bloated and inefficient. Recognizing this fact and in an effort to combat double digit unemployment and stagnant economic growth (near 0%), the French government recently passed a new law, the First Employment Contract. This act, allows employers to hire young people (under age 26) and gives firms the freedom to dismiss those employees within 2 years.

The move, specifically designed to combat youth unemployment, which ranges from 20-40% across France, has been met with stiff resistance from the very people the bill was designed to help. French students have taken to the streets in honor of their favorite past time: rioting. In France, mob rule has been the order of the day since the days of the so-called French Revolution. “The street will speak,” said Bruno Julliard, leader of a French student union. Invariably the government will be forced to back done as they have done time an again when attempting to enact such reforms. French culture has firmly and perpetually embraced the entitlement mentality and as such reform is all but impossible. These latest riots highlight to imbecility that governs French society.

The notion that a firm would not be permitted to dismiss unproductive and inept employees is very much a socialist creation. Those who prove their merit should have nothing to fear, but in a culture where self-sufficiency and creativity have long give way to sloth and complacency one can expect nothing less. France and its continued slide should serve as a warning for American leftists.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4802964.stm