Don’t fall for gilets’ populist propaganda
Re: the gilets jaunes – as a French citizen who lived in Britain for decades and now living in France with my British husband, I am appalled by this anarchic and nihilistic leaderless movement which has taken hold of the country and has won the approval of most of the press, left and right, duped into believing their populist propaganda.
To the cry of “ras-le-bol fiscal” (down with taxes) I say “ras-le-bol des râleurs” (down with the moaners). Moaning about everything and anything has now reached hysterical proportions.
That, in a country with one of the highest levels of social protection in Europe, with a myriad of benefits and tax breaks for the low paid, the highest state pensions as well as the lowest pension age in Europe, the lowest level of poverty in Europe, the best health service in the world and the same standard of living as Germany… I could go on. (Information from Eurostat).
But in France, people are no longer prepared to pay for any of it and scream blue murder if any benefits or public services are taken away from them.
The country has become, in effect, ungovernable. The idea that Macron is arrogant and therefore should resign is ludicrous. No president can win. Hollande was accused of being not presidential enough.
The “cause” of the gilets jaunes is groundless. There is no road tax to pay and the price of petrol in France is average for Europe, in line with the cost of living and by no means excessive. After the Paris riots, there is no doubt the aim is the destabilisation of the Macron government. We live in dangerous times, in France and in Brexit Britain.
Daniele Lebreton-Travis, address supplied
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