Protests threatens de Villepin's hopes

In case any of the younger readers out there are tired of being McScrewed, and are wondering how it is done, this is how it is done.

FRENCH students take to the streets again today in a revolt over a labour reform that is threatening to put an end to the presidential hopes of Dominique de Villepin, the Prime Minister.

The campaign against M de Villepin’s youth employment law risks turning into one of those showdowns with the young that have forced governments in France to perform humiliating retreats in recent decades.

M de Villepin was forced to cancel a trip today to Berlin, to attend a twice-yearly joint Cabinet meeting with the German Government. A weekend broadcast by M de Villepin, 52, did nothing to defuse a protest movement that has begun to scent weakness in the Prime Minister, who was appointed by President Chirac last May after voters rejected the European Constitution. An unelected and inexperienced politician, he has staked his reputation on the youth jobs scheme, along with his hopes of running for the presidency in elections in early 2007. A decision to back down would scupper his ambitions of beating Nicolas Sarkozy, the Interior Minister, for the centre-right candidacy to succeed M Chirac.

Eleven of France’s 85 universities were closed yesterday by sit-ins, and street marches are planned for today, Thursday and Saturday. Students were barred from Paris University buildings after the Sorbonne section on the Left Bank was damaged when police removed protesters on Saturday. The incident has revived memories of protests in May 1968.

TimesOnline

the youth in this country are too busy playing 'grand theft auto' and eating big macs..

I'm just trying to see that they know what their options are.