Reply #2: Hadn't heard that

[Paschall]

Thanks for the information. Actually, this subject has been hashed and re-hashed here endlessly. I think the real interest in the story will be its impact on Chirac's government. Teachers across the country are already planning to go on strike next week over a pension reform and the axing of thousands of teacher assistant jobs. The pressure is on and Chirac & Co. are scrambling "to save the furniture," as we say.

By the way, six months ago, Chirac reduced funding for French nursing homes and raised the income threshhold for at-home assistance for the elderly by one-third, thereby cutting part of the social safety net out from under a lot of semi-independent retirees. I suspect the backlash is gonna be a bitch.