The wrong man with the right measures

Matthew Lynn

Mass demonstrations in the streets. The riot police out in Paris. Things could hardly be worse for e...

Mass demonstrations in the streets. The riot police out in Paris. Things could hardly be worse for embattled French prime minister Dominique de Villepin. His efforts to breathe some flexibility into France's moribund labour laws have provoked a wave of opposition. In reality, he is the wrong man, introducing the right measures. He has no power base, no support from his party and disappears into thin air whenever there is economic trouble. Worse, de Villepin has fanned the flames of economic nationalism and protectionism. He can hardly complain if he gets burned in the process. There is n...