Often enjoy thread drift, but on this occasion I’d rather read SFers’ thoughts on the current situation in France…
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Sure, you just need to skip over the unrelated posts as we all do in such circumstances.
I’d be happy to, but there’s currently none to ‘skip over to’; instead nine of the last ten posts have been on the UK - is it because most people are unable to vote here that they shy away from discussing the subject?
Thank you to those who have commented so far on the French situation, that’s very much appreciated.
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I’m not convinced that “France has a right wing government and spiralling debt” is really news. It seems to have been thus for most of my adult life, certainly the latter part.
It’s perhaps interesting that the country seems to have voted left and got right, so it might be interesting to see how long that lasts.
There was an interesting observation in the office on Friday when we were talking about planning for a potential event in the second half of next year and some bright spark observed that it would coincide with the earliest opportunity for another election so let’s not get our hopes up that the event would go ahead.
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@tim17 @NotALot @JohnH I’ve started another thread here for that discussion about the wealth exodus:
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That sounds awfully like same as the Conservatives would have done.
Not really dealing with the fact that there is room fot the fat cats to pay quite a lot more without them cutting ties with the UK despite this perceived threat; and once again taxing those in the middle, more.
I just don’t think the Conservatives would have gone so low as to cancel the Winter Fuel Allowance of UK pensioners. That cancellatio and the new Means Testing By The Back Door of restricting the Fuel Allowance only to those on Pension Credit seems only to make sense …
if the government has cynically calculated in the fact that so many (my guess 80% of those not claiming) of the old and vulnerable that would be eligible for Pension Credit but are not claiming it, are simply not in a position to deal with the bureaucracy. Even if they are aware of something they could claim.
And sadly I think men in particular who are alone this is more likely and could literally now turn out to be fatal.
To be fair this sort of headline pops up regularly for all sorts of reasons and for all sorts of groups.
There is a big gulf between thinking about significant change (such as upping sticks and moving to another country) and actually doing it once you have thought it through.
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Where would they go to be taxed equal or less than the UK with the stability and safety they have?
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Nice try, but it seems SFers are more eager to post on UK current affairs.
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I very much doubt this government will last very long. Just more Macron for which most people voted against. The RN is enjoying the limelight. The next budget will be interesting as will the reforms, rumour has it this new government will slash the time the unemployed can claim benefits and new reforms on retirement funding…
It’s going to be an interesting few months…
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For forty years I have watched the BBC (which I generally respect) play the “things may be shit here (the UK) but it’s worse in (fill in the country)” diversionary card 
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We’ve made this observation before - and doubtless will again.
I guess it’s because the second thing that unites most SFers is the UK and because although some SFers can vote in France many can’t so take less interest in French politics.
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I’d have seen the pensioners and middle classes as the ‘obvious’ Tory voting groups, and therefore protected as far as they were able, preferring to target the scroungers - sorry, the unemployed and similar - to support their financial needs. Though having said that, they weren’t always afraid to be un-conservative sometimes, so they might have gone for industry etc too.
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Don’t disagree, I can’t vote here, but still find it a bit sad that people are far more willing to opine on the politics of somewhere where they used to live, rather than what’s going on where they now live.
I’m still English and tend to understatement , but maybe @vero may have a more pungent response to this…
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You can apply the same reasoning to French politics, most pensioners & the unemployed can vote but can’t go on strike to disable the economy to entice reforms. Macron has the same attitude of the unemployed as Norman Tebit, Macron, “walk across the street & you’ll find a job”, Tebit, “get on your bike and find a job”.
Middle class salaries & pensions have plummeted over the last 15 yrs or so, so have the job opportunities for those getting near or over 50.
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Curious as to your source Wozza. Not challenging, just curious.
What would you say are the causes of this change in the last 15 years?
Is it that living standards for the masses must drop in most Western countries, as most growth has moved to other psrts of the world?
Is this why we have increasing Right wing orientation by governments to try to balance the books and also keep control of growing numbers of disgruntled people?
And against this, the growing parts of the population whose expectations are not being met are voting Leftwards in refusal in an attempt to get things changed?
I did try 
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As an aside here’s a free link to an interesting current NY Times’ article on a traditional French CP Festival.