I've been considering the CPE over the last few days... how could I not? It's everywhere. On the newspapers, in my street, on the blogs. I can see both sides of the story - and it's interesting to feel just how deeply my own cultural convictions run. But I have come to understand why so many are asking for a retraction. Their demand is justified, but I also think that the French need something - and soon - that will make the job market more dynamic and open. Maybe it would be ideal to use this proposed CPE as a jumping-off point, and actually maintain an open dialogue so that whatever the CPE becomes, it is the result of both side's wants and needs. Then again, maybe that's impossible.
Regardless, there is something magical in seeing the massive protests taking place across the country. Yes, everybody bitches about strikes when they happen - especially by transportation workers - but I find it heartening to see such political involvement, via protests, on a national scale. I have always admired the French for their interest in politics and world events -- generally, they seem far more interested and aware than their American counterparts. As a bit of a news junkie, it is always surprising to learn that my American friends don't know much about the goings-on of their own government (TheKnitter being a noted exception), making it impossible to talk about current events. They're apathetic, something which the French have overwhelmingly proven is not their case. That's an impressive feat, especially amongst the young.
And, as always, it's great to see protesters, who are otherwise not affected by the CPE, come out and support those who are.
In all of my discussions on the topic, it seems that most people are in agreement that there is some pretty severe unrest amongst the young French. The riots in the suburbs, now the protests in the streets -- these are serious grumblings of discontent. Yes, the CPE is a major issue, and one that deserves more reflection than it has had to date. But I don't get the feeling that "fixing" the CPE (or doing away with it altogether) is going to solve what is appearing more and more like a larger social problem.
So... what are you saying IS the larger social problem? The unrest among the young French, no matter what generation of French citizen they are? To some extent, it seems like to be young and disillusioned is the eternal state of French youth, no matter the decade, no? What makes this decade's discontented youth different? I mean, unemployment has been a problem for the youth since, what, the eighties at a minimum, right? How am I doing with ending every sentence with a question mark?