The reason not to strike

This country is a joke. Well, you knew that. But it's about to surpass itself once more.

Now here are the tribulations of France's, very, very, "Chirakian" Minister of Finance:

On Wednesday, a satirical weekly, Le Canard Enchaîné ran a photo of his 6,500-square-foot government-rented luxury apartment in the fancy Eighth Arrondissement, just a few blocks from the presidential palace. The cost to taxpayers: $18,300 a month, which is about equal to Mr. Gaymard's salary.

Mr. Gaymard, who expressed shock at the disclosure ("I didn't know the price!") said he would move out at once.

"He's currently searching for a new apartment," a Finance Ministry spokesman said late last week

But wait wait, it's not over til it's over. For it appears that

the Gaymard couple already owns a flat "of 235 square-meters on ground floor boulevard St-Michel in Paris", claims the "Canard Enchaîné" in its Wednesday edition.

. . .

This week, the [satirical] weekly claims that Groupement foncier français (GFF), a subsidiary of the Caisse des dépôts, spent a total of €150,000 to renovate the duplex...

The Gaymards had also ordered, still courtesy of Bercy, kitchen closets, household electricals, pieces of furniture and lamps. The couple even went to Flos, a smart store rue de Bourgogne, to choose their lamps, indicates the "Canard". It adds that the Ministry of the Economy [sic] has since blocked some of the orders that had not been delivered before the affair was revealed.

In addition, "an important part of the food of the house was paid for by the ministry", claims the weekly [newspaper]. In particular, the cheese was delivered by the Fromageries de Paris.

So, now that Hervé Gaymard is back at the ministry, left luxury shopping to go back to work, what is he doing exactly? Trying to explain our dear unionist demonstrators/strikers that strikes will end up finishing off France? Almost.

Finances Minister [sic] Hervé Gaymard hoped on BFM radio on Wednesday that "reason will prevail" on March 10, so that the International Olympic Committee in charge of examining the Paris bid for the 2012 Olympic Games will be able to come to a city "that is not blocked" by demonstrations.

You understood well: yet another big strike planned, this time against any plan to reform the 35-hour work week.
And they're afraid of what? That it will endanger Paris' bid for the Olympic Games.

Mr. Gaymard has considered that . . . Transportation Minister Gilles de Robien's request that unions behave has "citizens" was "full of good sense".

"Let's wait and see what other [unions] will say" indicated Mr. Gaymard, saying that he "hope[d] reason would prevail", because "it is more pleasant to come to a city that is not blocked than in a blocked city."

No kidding? I won't even hope for the utopian illusion that he would consider the advantages and drawbacks of a blocked city for the economy.

Now, unions are considering striking and demonstrating another day or more "quietly". But just not to endanger the Paris bid for the 2012 Games.

Geez, I'm telling you, this country is a big joke. And crazy.