Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: France’s unrest and the West’s growth problem

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Rudyard and Andrew examine the social unrest sweeping across France. Andrew argues that while protest is deeply embedded in French political culture, the current wave of demonstrations is being fuelled by political opportunism, with the far left exploiting legitimate grievances to foment disorder. With President Macron deeply unpopular and his presidency increasingly weakened, the unrest risks benefiting Marine Le Pen, as the political centre struggles to hold. How much sympathy should we have for a younger generation burdened by debt and deficits accumulated by their elders? And is France a warning of what lies ahead for the West, as citizens confront an affordability crisis, strained…