Re: La France brûle-t'elle ? Banlieues en feu ...
Reply #237 –
STOCKHOLM, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Sweden's Prime Minister Goran Persson on Wednesday criticised the French government's response to a wave of rioting, saying emergency powers would not resolve unrest caused by a lack of integration and jobs.
Persson, who himself faced serious riots in Gothenburg during the 2001 European Union summit, when some police used live ammunition, said Paris showed "an implacable attitude of a type that I don't think will lead to dialogue".
"There is justified criticism against French society and that should not be met by the type of expressions that (Interior Minister Nicolas) Sarkozy for example uses," he told reporters.
"They have chosen a path and it is hard for me to judge that but it feels like a tough and confrontational tactic and it is difficult to see how it will lead to dialogue," said Persson.
France's conservative government imposed emergency measures after a 13th night of violence by youths who threw firebombs and torched hundreds of cars. Sarkozy faces calls for resignation and is accused of fomenting trouble with his tough language.
Sweden's centre-left leader Persson said the French unrest was "something I have not seen the likes of in Europe in the last 30 to 40 years". There have been copycat incidents in nearby European countries such as Belgium and German.
The situation was "a warning to the rest of Europe that we are on the way to creating tensions in society partly because of bad integration policy and lingering unemployment. There are surely others in the same situation as France."
Like France, Sweden has a large immigrant population with many Muslims but although there are complaints of discrimination, newcomers get generous aid for education and housing.
Competition for jobs is also lower, with an overall jobless rate of 5.1 percent which is nearly half the French level.
Yahi, Yahoo
On casse du sucre sur le dos...