The history of government in France is long and complicated. Political ideologies and political leaders have come and gone with regularity in the past 300 years. Since the French Revolution and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen in 1789 France has had five separate governments centered off of five separate Constitutions. The current constitutional democracy, the Fifth Republic, has been in place since 1958. France’s current president, Nicolas Sarkozy took office in 2007. His centrist democratic party, Union for a Popular Movement, has existed since 2002. Sarkozy will presumably seek a second 5 years term and run for reelection in 2012.
A perfectly valid question is: What does the convoluted history of the French government have to do with the African Diaspora? Answer-- French history fundamentally influences race relations in modern France. Each of the five French Republics has been firmly rooted in the ideas of individual liberties and equality before the law that date back to the French revolution. Oddly enough it is these centuries-old ideologies from the Revolution that shape French race relations in a negative way.
France has adopted a largely “color blind” approach to governmental policy and race relations. Unlike nearly all of its European neighbors and the United States, France intentionally excludes racial distinctions from its policies and programs. This stems largely from the legacy of the Revolution and the focus on equality for all. “Equality for all” has been taken to the extreme. It has come to mean that programs and intuitions throughout France do not acknowledge differences based on race.
Choosing to ignore race would not be an issue for the French if there was not a lasting stigma and dark undercurrent surrounding race and “others” in France. According to Erik Bleich, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Middlebury College, even today, when a relatively large group of minorities have established themselves as full-fledged, French citizens, some in France still see them as “immigrants” who are not truly French. There is racial tension in modern France. For those who identify as part of the African Diaspora this tension can often affect their daily lives. I think as we study the Diaspora in France it is important to look at society institutions, such as the government to see how they impact people of African decent throughout the country.
The French revolution was more then 200 years ago but its legacy still lives on today in race relations in France.
That’s all for now. Next time it’s the French economy.
 |
| President Nicolas Sarkozy |
 |
| Parliament |
Sources:
1. http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam033/2002031362.pdf
2. http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2001/05france_bleich.aspx
3. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3842.htm#gov
4. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/arts/17abroad.html?pagewanted=all
5. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/Mesko/207982.pdf
5. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/Mesko/207982.pdf
I have to say, I'm genuinely interested in seeing this further explored. It seems that the "Color blind" governmental approach would be ideal if only French society operated in that way. From what you've described, that's not the case. It seems as if the government is functioning in a post-racial manner, and is ignoring that fact the racism is alive and well in the state. I believe it is the governments duty to ensure that people's civil rights are protected-- if indeed there are serious issues with people's rights being violated as a result of this--, and until the issue of racism is attacked full on the problem will always exist.
ReplyDelete