"France Is Dying From a Lack of Freedom…"

Reader Bud Garner sends along word of an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal by Edouard Fillias and Sabine Herold of the newish party Alternative Liberale (note: all accents have been scrubbed due to my weak HTML skills). Props to them for their response to stupid French labor laws and half-assed attempts at reform:

What future is now offered to a 20-year-old French student? The state, facing bankruptcy, will force this youngster to fund his pensions as well as his parents', to pay overwhelming amounts for his monopolistic health insurance while reimbursements dramatically decrease, and to swallow the huge public debt that has been rung up by older generations. … Because his country lacks the courage to reform itself, it does not create jobs anymore and will drive him directly to long-term unemployment. It's a wonder the youth aren't even more upset.

Here's the precis of their party:

Alternative Liberale dares to answer the French youth….We don't worry about whether we should be called "liberal," "libertarian" or "free market." We aim only to create a free society. Our project is to transform our state so that it serves French citizens, not vice versa. We believe in freedom of choice in any area of human life, whether it's the economy, social issues or values. In all respects, we want to give the French their freedom back: freedom to choose the school where they want their children to be taught, freedom to negotiate their working conditions, freedom to choose their health insurance, freedom of speech on any issue. France is dying from its lack of freedom.

Whole thing here.

Reason last checked in with Herold and Co. a couple of years ago when she was headlining the youth grouop Liberte, J'ecris Ton Nom (Liberty, I Write Your Name). Check it out here.