Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In 1995, illness forced Mitterrand out of power and the
more conservative Jacques Chirac of the RPR fi nally became
President. While both had mistresses, Stephen Clarke has
noted, no one paid much attention. “Besides,” he says, “The
French don't believe that monogamy makes a politician
more effi cient.”
Chirac's term brought the compulsory 35-hour work week
and the European Union. Essentially a French concept, the
Maastrict Treaty approving the EU passed by only 51% in
France. On 1 January 1999, the dear old “new” French
franc passed into oblivion (though you still see sums given
in French francs on some receipts, so be careful to pay the
lower of the two amounts).
Chirac was re-elected in 2002, this time by an 82 per
cent margin with a new co-allition party, the Union for the
Presidential Majority (UMP). But he had to water down the
35 hour work week, which was not stopping unemployment
growth in the poorer parts of the country, especially the public
housing in the suburbs of the major cities.
In October of 2005 these suburbs exploded in protests,
making world headlines. Cars and buildings were burned,
3000 people were arrested. Then came a very French
reaction. A collective of citizens from 120 suburbs spent
10 months creating a proposal for improvements to the
Government, which was delivered in October of 2006. The
one visible change has been more black and Muslim faces
among the news presenters on television.
In May 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy of Chirac's UMP party won
in two elections against Ségolene Royal of the Socialist Party.
Either “Sarko and Sego” as they were called, would become
the fi rst head of state born after World War II. Ms. Royal,
also the fi rst woman to ever run for President of France, is
an unmarried mother of four. She split with the father of her
children during the campaign. Sarkozy divorced his wife after
a year in offi ce, swiftly presenting his mistress, Carla Bruni,
a stunning Italian model, who soon became his First Lady.
The French were delighted!
 
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