France’s new government: A political turning point for Europe
Peter Schwarz ■ The appointment of Manuel Valls as the new French prime minister is part of a sharp turn to the right by the political elites throughout Europe. President François Hollande has reacted to the defeat of his Socialist Party (PS) in municipal elections by intensifying his war on the working class and making chauvinist appeals that will strengthen the neo-fascist National Front (FN). Valls’ mission consists of implementing the most extensive social cuts and labour market counter-reforms in France’s history. As interior minister, Valls established his credentials for carrying out this task by promoting a free market agenda combined with law-and-order policies and ruthless attacks on refugees and Roma. He is alternately called the “French Blair,” the “French Schröder” and the “left-wing Sarkozy.”