Protests in France, Burimi: The government, a wounded animal

Analyst Genc Burimi, speaking live on the “Now” programme with Erla Mëhilli on Euronews Albania, discussed the situation in France, which has been facing student protests for days. Burimi stressed that young people are exploiting this moment of political weakness, encouraged and openly supported by the left-wing opposition parties.

According to him, in France the opposition does not hide its support for the protests, but comes out openly in defence of young people’s demands for better education conditions.

He stressed that public attention has also focused on the use of force by the police. After an incident in which a young man lost his hand, Burimi noted that the French prime minister decided to ban the use of such devices against protesters.

“For us in France this is not extraordinary. We have seen the yellow vests, we have seen the youth, and the first student revolution in ’68. At that time it was not about economic conditions — the economy was doing very well in de Gaulle’s time — but about the sexual emancipation of the youth, among other things. No, it is not extraordinary.

What is extraordinary is that this is happening at a moment when the government is a wounded animal. I won’t say a beast, but a wounded animal. We have not had a government in France in such a weak state, and so to speak, youth — smelling blood like a shark — are somewhat encouraged by the parties, or by the main party of the left.

Not only encouraged, but the opposition takes it on itself without any complex: where is the problem with a country like France, a democracy? A political party says I am behind them, of course I am with the young people, I am for them having good schooling conditions and so on.

In Albania this is a debate, but in France it is not a debate. The debate has changed today. Because there was a minor in northern France whose hand was completely torn off — an amputation of the hand — from a grenade thrown by the police. Today the prime minister decided that these kinds of grenades should no longer be used,” he said.