Stuart on French students in the streets

"In France, however, the prevailing attitude seems to be a quest for security (the fight against 'precariousness' is one of the main rallying cries of the current protests). In part, this is understandable; it's difficult to do anything in this country - get credit, rent a flat - without a permanent contract. But I believe that to be a blinkered view. The answer lies not in providing young people with long-term contracts that are so binding they make employers afraid of hiring anyone new because getting rid of them later if it proves to be the wrong decision, or even simply if the economic climate changes, is prohibitively difficult and expensive. That protects people already in work; it doesn't do much to create new jobs." Link.