As any “expat”, I still follow the headlines of my native country. The latest polemic around the referendum for the European Constitution is about President Chirac appearing on TV to debate of this matter with eighty 18-25 years old. The “old guard” of partisans to the “NON” (ranging from extreme Left to extreme Right and splitting most large parties) find it outrageous.

They think that these 80 young French will be crunched by Chirac and will show too much respect to challenge his point of view.

This kind of reasoning and attitude is one of the reasons I don’t see any future for me in France as it is right now (with incompetent egocentric power-avid politics and stupid short-sighted narrow-thinking unions).

I truly believe this format is a very good one, even if it can be perceived as show-business more than traditional politic debating. What its opponents clearly suggest is:
  • France is pouring billions in an educating system which wouldn’t foster critical reasoning.
  • Where there is respect, there couldn’t be questioning (but clearly Politics aren’t aware of this).
  • The Constitution itself is more something for Politics than the people, hence young citizens shouldn’t be allowed to discuss it with the President and should leave it to “professionals”, who in my opinion will turn this debate into a political one instead of one dedicated to the French & European society and its future.
  • Innovation and forward thinking are bad things (no European Constitution, no new format for discussing issues, no direct public interaction between French and their leaders).
  • Unfortunately, there are a lot of would-be communists and unionists in French high-schools and universities and I guess some of them will be part of the chosen eighty, so some people on the Left are clearly ignoring their supporters and electorate.
I don’t know what could make France change but I sincerely hope these 80 young people (and the President) will prove their detractors wrong. This would be a tiny step towards a France I would respect and I would like to live in and with.