The Yellow Vest Protests In France Are Unstoppable

Masked protesters wearing yellow vests, a symbol of a French drivers' protest against higher fuel prices, take part in a demonstration on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France, November 24, 2018. Benoit Tessier, Reuters

Spiked Online: ‘The gilets jaunes are unstoppable’

Christophe Guilluy on the cultural divide driving the yellow vests.

The gilets jaunes (yellow vest) movement has rattled the French establishment. For several months, crowds ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands have been taking to the streets every weekend across the whole of France. They have had enormous success, extracting major concessions from the government. They continue to march.

Back in 2014, geographer Christopher Guilluy’s study of la France périphérique (peripheral France) caused a media sensation. It drew attention to the economic, cultural and political exclusion of the working classes, most of whom now live outside the major cities. It highlighted the conditions that would later give rise to the yellow-vest phenomenon. Guilluy has developed on these themes in his recent books, No Society and The Twilight of the Elite: Prosperity, the Periphery and the Future of France. spiked caught up with Guilluy to get his view on the causes and consequences of the yellow-vest movement.

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WNU Editor: Bottom line. What is happening in France will be spreading to other European countries, and probably to North America.

What's My Take On The Election Of French President Emmanuel Macron

Results are projected before Marine Le Pen, French National Front (FN) political party candidate for French 2017 presidential election, delivers a concession speech at the Chalet du Lac in the Bois de Vincennes in Paris after the second round of 2017 French presidential election, France, May 7, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

Politico: Emmanuel Macron wins French presidency by beating Le Pen

Centrist pledges to bring country together after big runoff victory over far-right leader.

PARIS — Emmanuel Macron was elected president of France on Sunday, winning more than 65 percent of the vote to beat far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a runoff.

Projections based on partial results gave the centrist Macron between 65.5 and 65.9 percent — a stronger-than-expected victory and a stunning achievement for a novice to electoral politics who, at 39, will be modern France’s youngest president. And in an election watched closely on both sides of the Atlantic, his win is also the third consecutive setback for European populist parties who preached a mix of Trump-style nationalism and protectionism to voters fed up with conventional politics.

The former investment banker and economy minister pledged to renew French public life in a short and sober address after the result was announced. But he struck a more upbeat note in a triumphal rally outside the Louvre palace later in the evening, arriving to the strains of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the European Union’s anthem, as thousands of supporters cheered and waved French flags.

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WNU Editor: What do I expect .... he will continue former Socialist President François Hollande policies with a few caveats .... a greater embrace of globalism, and a more open immigration and refugee asylum policy. In short .... a doubling down on his predecessors policies. Because of his huge win .....he also has a clear mandate to implement these policies .... and I expect him to do just that in the coming months. A friend of mine who is a French citizen and who lives behind my home in Montreal explained to me tonight on why Emmanuel Macron won today. In short (and I am paraphrasing) ....

.... His base strongly believe that the role of government is to provide a job for everyone .... at a good salary with benefits .... delivering an early retirement with a full pension. Emmanuel Macron was successful in convincing french voters that he is going to deliver just that .... and they believed him. As for Le Pen .... she articulated a completely opposite point of view .... anti-globalism/anti-open borders/anti-government .... and it was a point of view that was clearly not at all appetising for a majority of the voters. Hence her crushing defeat ... that was further helped by an overwhelmingly negative press.

My prediction .... this euphoria over Emmanuel Macron is real and it is going to last for the next few years. I also do not expect him to deliver on his promises of economic prosperity ... in fact .... it will be far from it. I know that there are going to be a lot of disappointed people a few years from now .... I am old enough to have seen this type of politician before (and more than once)  .... but for now .... the majority in France believe they are on the right track. Sighhhh .... so be it.

Commentaries And Analysis On The French Presidential Election

CNBC: Macron is France's next president — here’s what happens next

* Emmanuel Macron has been elected president of France.
* Far-right opponent Marine Le Pen failed to secure the keys to the Elysee Palace.
* French parliamentary elections and the EU talks now take center stage.

The centrist candidate secured approximately 65 percent of votes to far-right Le Pen's 35 percent, according to a Kantar Sofres poll, in what has been one of the most significant elections in France's recent history.

Macron's win signals a victory for both pro-Europeans and pollsters, who correctly predicted his lead. CNBC takes a look at the En Marche (translated as "onwards") party leader's next steps towards the Elysee Palace.

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Commentaries And Analysis On The French Presidential Election

France's mainstream breathes sigh of relief -- DW
Five reasons why Macron won the French election -- BBC
Macron banks on de Gaulle's 'majority amplifier' to govern -- Michael Rose, Reuters
Macron and the Revival of Europe -- Roger Cohen, NYT
Why Macron Won: Luck, Skill and France’s Dark History -- Adam Nossiter, NYT
French Election: Macron’s Victory Hailed — and Decried — as Boost for United Europe -- NBC
Marine Le Pen's Real Victory -- The Atlantic
Le Pen loss may be preferred outcome for Trump -- Washington Times
'A new page has been turned': Macron eschews triumphalism in victory speech -- The Guardian
French Elections: What You Need to Know About Emmanuel Macron's Victory and the Battles to Come -- Newsweek
The Huge Challenges Facing Emmanuel Macron -- The New Yorker
French election: Emmanuel Macron's decisive victory still leaves enormous challenges: ANALYSIS -- ABC News Online
Analysis: The six big challenges facing France's new president Emmanuel Macron -- The Local/AFP
Analysis: Despite Le Pen's loss, European populism lives on -- AP
Marine Le Pen defeated but France's far right is far from finished -- The Guardian
What does Marine Le Pen do now? -- BBC

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials On The Charlie Hebdo Massacre And Its Aftermath

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials On The Charlie Hebdo Massacre And Its Aftermath

A Guide to Charlie Hebdo Opinions -- Katie Zavadski, NYMag
An Attack Chills Satirists and Prompts Debate -- New York Times
Slain cartoonists were cultural icons in France -- Matthew Schofield, McClatchy Foreign Staff
Charlie Hebdo: first they came for the cartoonists, then they came for the Jews -- Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian
Three Reasons France Became a Target for Jihad -- John R. Bowen, Time
As hostage standoffs end, no cheering from Parisians -- Sara Miller Llana, CSM
Assaulting Democracy: The Deep Repercussions of the Charlie Hebdo Attack -- Spiegel Online
Charlie Hebdo attack challenges the roots of Western democracy -- Deutsche Welle
Art Is Free: Responses to Charlie Hebdo -- The Atlantic editorial
How Arab world media responded to Charlie Hebdo attack -- Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers -- Nico Hines, Daily Beast
Paris attackers had ties to older generations of Islamic militants -- Tu Thanh Ha, The Globe and Mail
France’s Impressive Counterterrorist Operation -- Max Boot, Commentary
Who Is Hayat Boumeddiene, the Female Paris Terrorist? -- Nina Strochlic, Daily Beast
Experts Fear Terror Threat Is Greater Than Capacity of Security Agencies to Respond -- Harvey Morris, Time
The attack on Charlie Hebdo: Terror in Paris -- The Economist
Response to Paris attacks caught between two risks -- Pierre Briancon, Reuters
The Charlie Hebdo attack: Geo-politics, eurocentrism, Islamophobia, and blowback -- Dr. Can Erimtan, RT
Charlie Hebdo shooting: Suspect’s neighbour recalls ‘pleasant, helpful’ man -- Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star
Muslims Fear Backlash After Paris Shooting -- VOA
Charlie Hebdo attack likely to spark 9/11-like review in France -- Mitchell Prothero, McClatchy Washington Bureau
Europe's Nightmare Gets Worse -- Gregory Katz, Real Clear World
Why Al Qaeda Poses a Greater Terror Threat to the U.S. Than ISIS -- Michael Kugelman, WSJ
The full story of a day of terror and bloodshed -- The Telegraph
‘Charlie Hebdo, Before the Massacre’ -- New York Times

Revolution In France?

Now, A French Spring? -- Michel Gurfinkiel, PJ Media

Is France poised for a revolution?

Less than one year after François Hollande’s election as president and the stunning victory of his socialist supporters at the National Assembly, there is a widespread feeling in France that his administration is doomed. According to the latest poll released by Journal du Dimanche on April 21, 74% of the French now entertain bad opinions about Hollande as president, whereas only 25% still support him. These represent the worst figures ever for a head of state at the same point in his mandate since the founding of the Fifth Republic in 1958.

The French media wonder whether such discontent may lead to a constitutional crisis — or even a revolution. A French Spring. “Is this 1789?” asked Le Point, a right-of-center magazine. This is a reference to the Great Revolution of 1789 that terminated the Old Regime not just in France, but all over continental Europe. Le Point’s cover featured Hollande as Louis XVI, with a white wig and surrounded by bloodthirsty sans-culottes.

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Update: Why France's gay marriage debate has started to look like a revolution -- John Laughland, The Spectator

My Comment: I live in the Canadian french province of Quebec, and I have been startled on how many young entrepreneurs in the web/tech field that I have met in the past year who have moved from France recently (my business associate is an angel investor who supports web projects, and it is through him that I have met these people).

They all tell me the same thing .... the state controls everything ..... the rules and regulations tell you what to do, and the taxes tell you what you can earn .... an environment that I know for an entrepreneur is a death sentence .... hence they are all leaving. Rule of thumb .... when your entrepreneur class is leaving your country en masse, there is no way that your society can grow economically or prosper.

The media focus is on the French state legalizing gay marriage and the opposition to it .... but France's problems are economic and a mindset among many that the state can solve the problems. But it is not working .... and now a growing number are making their dissent public and very vocal .... especially among the young who now realize that they cannot find a well paying job unless someone they know can get them a government job.

The French Way Of Fighting Wars

War, à la Française -- Anne Jolis' Wall Street Journal

'Yeah, you Americans, you have all the fancy equipment. But we French, we figure it out every time—we know how to get by.'

Somewhere between Douentza and Gao, Mali

The French say we're stopping for lunch. But after 90 minutes on the side of the road in North Mali's badlands, it's clear that even the French army doesn't need this long to eat, smoke and digest.

Turns out one of their Nexter/Renault infantry-fighting vehicles has broken down. The 70-odd trucks and IFVs in our convoy now line the savanna while a mechanic tends to the breakdown. The soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Regiment munch on canned goat's cheese, rabbit terrine, nougat and black chocolate. French logistical gear may not be ideal, but their rations are second to none. Welcome to war, à la Française.

The soldiers joke privately about run-down equipment and not enough of it. Even the car trouble, though, prompts a sideways pride. "Yeah, you Americans, you have all the fancy equipment," one young corporal says, leaning against his Renault six-wheeler with a cigarette and a smirk. "But we French, we figure it out every time—we know how to get by."

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My Comment: If fighting war was so easy.

Is France Now The Leader Of The Free World?

France: Leader Of The Free World -- Philip Delves Broughton, Daily Beast

The French are a decisive, manly superpower. Unlike America.

In the early afternoon of January 12, four Rafale jets roared out of St-Dizier, 125 miles east of Paris, angling south toward the Mediterranean and their targets in West Africa: the training camps of Islamic fighters in northern Mali. Four hours later they struck.

It had already been a long day for France’s president, François Hollande. His laborious domestic struggles over tax rates and spending cuts had been replaced by the dark and dangerous glamour of special operations and airstrikes.

At 4 a.m., Hollande had been woken at his apartment in the 15th arrondissement, to be told that a French commando raid in Somalia to rescue a French agent, Denis Allex, kidnapped by the Shabab rebel group in 2009, had failed. Not only had they not recovered the hostage, but two commandos had been killed in the process. Mali was a very different situation. “It doesn’t matter if it was the right or wrong decision to intervene,” says Philippe Moreau Defarges, the director at IFRI (Institut Français des Relations Internationales). “It was the only decision.”

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My Comment: With the exception of the French .... and to a lesser extent Germany/Britain .... everyone's military in Western Europe is just a shadow of it's former self, and more to the point .... no one has the will to intervene in foreign conflicts like Mali. But the French military is still a force to consider .... and more to the point .... the will to confront adversaries who need to be confronted still exists in the French government. And while I do not know how long this will last .... for the moment the French are on top.

The Coming Economic Turmoil In France

A Time For The French To Keep Their Heads -- George Walden, The Telegraph

François Hollande may harbour dreams of a new revolution, but how will he pay for it?

When the last French socialist president, François Mitterrand, was preparing for victory, it was my job as a diplomat to accompany him on a trip to London to call on Jim Callaghan. En route from the airport to No 10, I arranged for him to drop in to Kew Gardens. A mistake. He was so enthralled I couldn’t get him out, and we turned up a trifle late for the prime minister.

The point of the story is French insularity. Mitterrand was a passionate arboriculturalist, yet he knew nothing of the glories of Kew. In France, insularity can go along with a romantic nationalism, on Left and Right, and with François Hollande’s victory we are seeing more of that today.

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My Comment: I concur with this analysis. I live in the Canadian french province of Quebec .... and as long as I have been here .... we have always been following the French model of "nationalism" and "revolution" .... albeit a lite form of it.

The consequences of following this policy on the Quebec economy have been horrendous. Capital flight, high taxes, being dependent on the central government (Ottawa) for handouts and support. Using Quebec as my reference point, my prediction for France is simple .... they will have the same, minus not having someone to bail them out.