It is clear to nearly everyone that Europe is in desperate need of economic reform. With three of the founding members of the Union - France, Germany and Italy - in turmoil, it is time for Europe to take decisive action, but there seems to be no consensus on the proper course to take.
The situation in France is representative of the process that has characterized the country's political scene for centuries. There has always been a tendency for significant change to come through revolution.
Taking to the streets is often ridiculed as a French pastime, though there is little defense for the country as riots and protests are France's greatest current events export.
Whenever any group becomes frustrated with its current situation, the most common solution is to stage a protest or a strike. Though striking and protesting are powerful methods of labor bargaining, their absurd frequency diminishes any credibility they may once have had.
France has found itself in a downward spiral of inaction. This ultimately stems from the fact that there has been a growing divide between the insulated political elite and the evolving population.
The last 20 years of French politics are littered with the same repeated names, and shifts from left to right have meant little more than a different face in office.
Compounded with the fact that all of the civil servants are educated at the same schools, with the same methodologies, it is little surprise that the government lacks dynamism.
The attempted labor reform by Dominique de Villepin is a classic example of how the French government fails to cooperate with its citizens.
With unemployment among youth reaching over 20 percent, change was inevitable. Attempting to revitalize the labor market by eliminating contract restrictions, Villepin faced unprecedented confrontation from students and unions.
Regardless of the merits of his plan, his error was a failure to cooperate with the private sector. Clearly, this is the population most affected by a change in labor policies; a lack of dialogue with them is myopic at best.
This myopia may come from the country's tendency to place stronger emphasis on the theory and plan, rather than the practical considerations of implementation.
When the terms of the proposed employment contract were released, the protests that erupted were unwarranted. They represent the second half of the problem for the country. While the government may be developing inane plans for reform, blocking every attempt is counterproductive.
President Jacques Chirac is a conniving politician. In seeking to protect his power, he is notorious for his cession to protests. This creates an incentive for protestors to appear at any sign of controversy.
It would be far more productive for the country to work towards positive reform through a combination of private and public sector interests. A system where a law is proposed and then withdrawn in the face of criticism produces nothing but stagnation.
In order to prosper from the benefits of economic growth and development, one must also accept the implicit volatility. For the labor market this means that there must be some freedom to hire when times are good, and fire when times are bad.
This increased flow allows for shorter unemployment time. It also acts as an incentive for companies to hire, knowing they are not bound to a worker for life.
For France to achieve its true economic potential, it must realize that lack of change will not preserve its condition, but will slowly drag it down.
