French President Hollande pledges austerity, war in prime time TV interview
In an hour-long France2 television interview last night, French President François Hollande sought to outline his policies amid rising popular anger with his government. Hollande’s interview aimed to reassure the ruling class that his Socialist Party (PS) government would continue with its wars and social cuts in defiance of public opinion. Though his speech largely focused on the economy, he did not raise the main event in European economic life this month: the European Union (EU) bailout imposed upon Cyprus with the support of the Hollande government. This is because any honest portrayal of EU policy in Cyprus would explode the lie that the European bourgeoisie wants jobs and economic growth. In fact, their policy is aimed at intensifying the exploitation of the working class amid a ruthless war among competing sections of finance capital.