Two weeks ago I traveled to Paris to observe and report on President Trump’s international trip to honor the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I. I spoke with many Parisians about their politics and American politics. Some people I met supported Trump’s policies on immigration, taxes, and tariffs, while others I met called Trump “stupid” and “ignorant.” If I had to guess, I’d say Trump’s approval rating in France is not much lower than it is here in the United States.
Last week protests broke out across France. Protesters numbered in the thousands set up nearly 2,000 barricades across main roads in France to oppose rising taxes, especially the taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel. The protesters are mainly from the French countryside, and the gas prices affect their lives more than people who are able to ride trains or public transportation in the cities. The protesters were chanting “Macron, Démission!” (Macron, Resign!). Some have called for a new French revolution.
How high are the gas prices? When translating the French liter to the U.S. gallon and the Euro to the Dollar, a gallon of gas in France on October 8 cost, on average, $6.80 per gallon. The price has dropped some since then, and the average as of Nov. 19 was $6.31 per gallon.
Compare this price to the last tank of gas you bought. For me, in North Carolina, gas was $2.23 per gallon. The national average, according to AAA, is $2.56 per gallon.
I asked some French citizens to share with me their thoughts on the situation. One French college student said that the taxes are so high because the state has been in a deficit for a very long time. In order to make up the deficit, the government has chosen to raise the diesel and gasoline taxes. This person also said “it is ridiculous that while gas taxes continue to increase, the French government has decided to increase the salaries of the members of the government.” They also said that the people of France are fed up with the politicians who “make promises and do not respect them, and this is the case for Macron and the raising of the gas taxes.”
“The issue is extremely important for students,” the student told me. They said that it is “very difficult for students to fill up their car for €60” to get to and from school. The college student supports what the demonstrators are fighting for, but another said the demonstrators have to understand that the taxes on something have to be raised in order to pay for universal healthcare and free education.
Both students agreed that “while the free education is nice because of the equal opportunities that it provides for students no matter what sort of financial situation they are in” they also know that if they “succeed it will be thanks to their own efforts” and they do not want to “share their money with people who do not do anything with their life.”
The French people and government have many decisions to make on which direction to take their country. The university students and the upcoming generation have to decide on what level of socialism they want. While sometimes it feels like the U.S. is the most divided nation in the world, every nation has its problems, some much more serious than in the U.S.
Much like France, however, college students and young adults of the U.S. have a decision to make: Will we follow France down the road to socialism, or move forward with capitalism?
Patrick Riley (@Patrick_Wriley) is a third-year student at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina.
