2026-10-11 09:46:17
'In the final year of lycée, pupils study Rousseau’s Du Contrat Social (The Social Contract), ... put simply, you pay heavy taxes and in return you expect the country to work. That bargain is how the French understand their relationship with the state. When the government raises the retirement age, lets electricity bills soar or cuts school budgets, that is seen as a breach of the social contract. Protest is the automatic response.'
















