What has happened in French society? Is this an isolated development, or do other European states witness similar waves of civic unrest? Greece springs to mind. Is it "civic" in the first place? Is there anything Turkey must prepare itself for?
French society -- like most others -- has gone through a tremendous transformation, not always for the better.
Let me give you an example. Think of the 1960s, the 1970s and even the early 1980s. Paris was famous for its "vive la vie" attitude, including allowing for leisurely strolls along the banks of the River Seine. Then ill-advised city developers decided that that space was too valuable not to be used as fast-track inner-city access roads for the ever-growing number of Parisian motorists. Hence, expressways replaced walkways. As a single incident it would not amount to much; it must be seen in the wider context of a changing French society.
Before François Mitterand came to power for the first time, his spin doctors advised him to run his campaign with slogans like "Socialism -- a concept that made/will make progress" (translated from a campaign poster of the time). Fair enough. There was this notion in French society that socialism could mobilize the good in people and modernize society. Tony Blair was probably the last European leader who, many years later in 1997, rode high on the leftovers of that same electoral wave.
What people in France at the time did not understand was that in principle their soon-to-be-established form of ‘le socialisme' would amount to nothing more than promoting gigantic state machinery controlling every aspect of daily life. Besides, de-centralization under Mitterand in the mid-1980s brought more, not less bureaucracy to France's regions. What their elected leaders overlooked was that the idea that everyone adores politicians was simply untrue and that underneath the fantasy world as portrayed by glossy election campaign posters by both the government and the opposition, anti-establishment sentiment was growing fast. I am not saying that another party in power or winning the presidency would have acted differently; I am not taking political sides.
France, perhaps unwittingly, turned its once famous and very libertarian laissez-faire society into a state-controlled, and often state-sponsored, protectionist apparatus. The resulting "don't bother me" attitude was the reaction of most citizens, while some resorted to social unrest as the "logical" consequence to this escapism expressed by the majority of French citizens. When states become too powerful internally and most citizens either obey or simply do not care anymore, some segments of society will revolt. While perhaps justified initially, this is often misled later, and only violence is the outcome. The state then asks for even more tolerance while establishing even more control mechanisms: a vicious circle leading to social exclusion.
French leaders forgot in particular that there is a generation of children in their midst whose parents came to France from other countries who need education, housing and jobs. The French middle classes were not well informed about how to integrate first and second-generation new arrivals.
Now: Can youth unrest occur in Turkey, too? Greece witnessed similar events just recently. My viewpoint is that youth protest is a useful vent for anger, but youth unrest surely is not. Demonstrating for better access to education or more jobs is a legitimate request, but burning cars without any logic involved except chaos is a criminal act. As long as Turkish leaders and the establishment listen to their future generations, confrontations like those seen in both Greece and France can be avoided. What leaders must allow for is more involvement in society by its young citizens. This must be encouraged by having clearly visible benefits put in place. What better benefit than helping to shape your own country's future?
When criticizing Turkey and putting up roadblocks on its way to joining the EU, France should reflect on its own shortcomings, too. The idea behind the European Union is to form a group of nations that respect each other, learn from each other and support each other. Every existing and new member-state adds significant value to this venture. I took the liberty to comment upon developments involving French youth and asked the question "why?" France may do the same and take a look at issues in Turkey and ask why. But there the buck stops. Asking these questions does not mean burning bridges. It means better understanding your neighbor. While Turkey can learn a lot from fellow European countries, they can also learn from Turkey. It is a give-and-take situation. France should take a look at the Turkish New Year's celebrations, which focused on joy and peace, as well as Gaza and Israel, instead of on burning cars.
