Posted on 08/30/2007 11:38:59 PM PDT by Cincinna
Anrmy Bourhane, a Frenchman of African origin, had three years' experience as an account manager and a masters in international business but spent a fruitless year in Paris looking for work.
Eight months ago, he came to London and found a job as a sales representative within 10 days. Two months later, he was promoted.
He's one of thousands of young, energetic French people who have crossed the Channel in search of a work environment that rewards talent and drive and is unhampered by the stultifying labor restrictions of their homeland.
Now many of those people are hopeful they may soon be able to return home and find fertile ground for their ambitions in a new meritocratic France. The cause for their hope? The election in May of President Nicolas Sarkozy, who promises to break the old mold of French business and actively courted London's French expat crowd during his campaign. The new French president has also championed "positive discrimination" policies to help minorities find jobs.
"I have faith in Sarkozy to give hope back to France," said Bourhane, originally from the Comoros Islands.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Because of high taxes and an inability and refusal to offer promotions on a merit basis, France had become stuck in the rut of its “old boy network”.
A brain drain among the young, and a money drain among the rich has taken its’ toll.
With the election of Sarko, many expats and those in self-exile, like aging rocker Johnny Hallyday, are now considering returning to France.
Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça (WTH is): 'positive discrimination'?
AKA affirmative action.
that's a very good start...
Just wait until he actually tries to make these changes...
The French will be rioting in the streets...
All the initial economic changes promised by Sarko have sailed easily into place. All but one passed - the the deductability of mortgage interest on homes purchased before 2007. That will be revisited, and the law will be rewritten in order to go through.
Nobody is rioting. Au contraire, Sarko now enjoys a whopping 71% approval rating!
That’s chicken feed.
The real reforms are labor rules, being able to fire employees and reducing/limiting unemployment benefits.
Left one out...
Reducing pensions.
“That’s chicken feed.
The real reforms are labor rules, being able to fire employees and reducing/limiting unemployment benefits.”
- Some will protest for sure, but such sporadic outbursts of dissatisfaction and disagreement with government policies won’t be enough to stop a nation that has got its mind set on dismantling Socialism, if that really is the case. I hope it is.
Another thing is that the unions actually are very weak in France. There’s no organized resistance to speak of. Perhaps some stupid ‘anti-Capitalism’ movement will develop, but I doubt it. Even though a lot of French still haven’t fully understood what Capitalism, competition and work ethics are all about, the French are more tired of Socialism and zero economic growth than ever.
It wasn’t very long ago that they tried to make it so new hires could be fired over a limited period of time (I forgot the details). The “students” along with others shut down the cities in protest and the law reversed.
yeah well everywhere theres is a problem people run
until you run out of places to run to
If London’s French expats head home, then that will just leave Brown and the Muslims in London.
- True, but at that time Chirac and his impotent administration were in charge, a government that few French really trusted and supported. Furthermore, the protesting Socialist ignorants had it their way and the only thing it resulted in was status quo. This, I think, has further fueled the opposition to Socialism in France.
I predict there will come a time when it will be just too apparent to the French that their economy is failing to grow and failing to compete. Perhaps this is not really the case today, but that, unavoidable, point in time I believe is approaching.
No...they'll be replaced, in far larger numbers, by yet more Polish Catholics!
Thanks for the ping. Good thread. Thanks to all contributors.
I thought Poland was one of the "good" countries -- pro-American, pro-capitalist. Are they having emmigration problems?
A business colleague of mine is originally from Normandy. He left France some years back when after a while in the work force saw more than 50% of his pay going to taxes. Off then to the UK.
Eventually he made his way to Reuters in Toronto, met his eventual wife and now is in the US, an executive in IT.
He commented several years ago about the climate back in France. He said no one wanted to work. Seems like the class structure is locked in and people aren’t motivated as they can’t get ahead. And the system discourages it.
We had lunch to celebrate Sarkozy’s election. And now I buy French wine again.
Most Americans cannot understand this about Europe in general. A foreigner in England hactually has an advantage in that he will not be consigned to some particular circle of Hell because of his accent!
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