Élections municipales

A lot of topics are surfacing during municipal elections, even if the elections will only take place next spring. For now, the Socialist Government has decided to stop making any decisions until next year.  Because even municipal elections are governed by Socialists or UMP parties.  For instance, in Lille, the capital of North of France, Martine Aubry is still the mayor, and she is a socialist member.  There's a lot of polemics around the city, such as Roms (gypsies) camping right in the middle of the city.  And Martine Aubry has to relocate them.  French ministers are making harsh comments about this nomadic population.  Even Bruxelles had to stepped in and warned France to apply Europeans rules for this population.   According  to the media, France has only 20,000 Roms, compared to Germany who has 100 000 roms population.  This is a touchy topic because Roms are protected by European laws.  The cities are required to have "camping" sites for them, but some chose not to camp in those areas.  Since violence is one of the concerns for municipalities, Roms are the targets for the politicians.  The Interior Minister made hard comments on the Rom situation and François Hollande, has not yet commented on this touchy topic.  He really wants to win the municipal elections!

Another topic that concerns municipalities, is Sunday shopping.  Last Sunday, 14 hardware stores outside Paris have opened on Sunday, and greeted their clients with croissants and coffees.  The prefecture has forbidden those stores to open on Sunday but they decided to go against it.  The government has no authority.  They were fined 120 000 euros per day.  I've learned that it was the Unions who filed  complaints against those hardware stores and part of the fine money will go directly to the Unions.

Those stores say that Sunday sales represent 20% of their weekly sales.  In Europe, the majority of countries choose to not open businesses on Sundays.  In France, some exceptions are tolerated : food stores open Sunday until 1pm, gardening centres are opened, restaurants, movie theatres, etc.  Politicians try to minimize the fact the already 8 millions French people work during Sunday, by choice or not, policemen, hospital staff, etc.  Wether it is a right or left wing government, Sunday Shopping has always been a touchy subject.  Out of tradition and because the working unions are against it, Sunday should remain a day to rest.  In comparison, in Canada, we are free to shop on Sunday since the late 80's.  It was a drugmart that took the governement to court and won in 1985.  Sunday was the day of rest for Christians, but it can no longer be a tradition in Canada.

In my opinion, I find insulting that the government wants to have Sunday closed and doesn't take any consideration that a lot of people already work that day.  Of course, who really wants to work on Sundays.  But some do, like students for instance.  The government should allow any store to open whenever they want.  There are also a little extra on the paycheck for those who work on Sunday, depending on the work contract.  French people are more concerned about the economic crisis and are mad that the government is not willing to change.

Also, a few stores on the Champs Élysée are opened until 9 pm, and Unions have made complaints and want the stores to close at 8 pm.  Of couse, employees are not happy about this.  It seems that those who represent employees don't have the same interests and goals.

French people have been perceived as "lazy" workers because of the law of 35 hours/week (implemented by Martine Aubry) and their many holidays. The reality is that they want to work just like any other country, but the government and the Unions are not willing to budge and make labour laws more flexible.  France is its own enemy.


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