Setting the streets on fire | Opinion by Helena Resano
France set on fire. Israel on fire. The United States holding its breath in the face of what may be Trump’s last move. The world is the way it is and behind all these mobilizations there are diverse, different motives, with more or less support, but all with the same common denominator: populism.. Yes, analyst Pedro Rodriguez said it a few days ago: what we are seeing these days in France or Israel is a consequence of populism. A style that Trump professionalized during his 4 years in the White House. To govern by inventing a parallel reality, to legislate without listening to those around you, to decide without seeking dialogue, ends up like this. With the street on fire, with people staging demonstrations that can end up in serious riots, just tell it to the residents of Bordeaux, for example: the facade of their town hall completely burned. will remind them for days of what is happening with the protests. over pension reform.
In the interview he gave last week Macron said that there are not 36 different solutions to make pensions sustainable. And he may not be wrong. It is difficult to find a solution for the future when we have increasingly aging societies.. We live longer, yes, but we do nothing to ensure that the generations behind us are able or willing to start a family. The birth rate is falling and we have a completely inverted population pyramid. Having children is expensive, very expensive, a budget that not all couples can afford. Even less so with meager salaries, sky-high rents and precarious jobs. So, indeed, solving the pension dilemma may not be easy, neither in France nor in any other country. But if you don’t explain it, if you don’t tell it, if you don’t seek the understanding of those who will have to sacrifice to make the accounts work out, you will hardly gain support. Macron has lacked explanationsconsensus, consensus, dialogue and more in a country where the trade unions have so much weight. Now his prime minister is trying to redirect it by sitting down to talk with them, but it may be too late.
Netanyahu has also lost his arrogance: he had a Supreme Court that directly hindered him from remaining in power and he wanted to avoid being overwhelmed by the legal proceedings pending against him. So he has almost, almost, made himself a tailor-made reform.thinking that people would, well, twist the gesture but nothing more. But no. The street has come out in droves. And Netanyahu has had to announce that he is postponing it. He asks for the wild card of time.
Trump, the master of knowing how to move the masses at will, has been calling for days for his own to take to the streets to avoid his arrest. He doesn’t care if that generates riots or more division. As he himself confessed, the image of him handcuffed is the best campaign for his candidacy. And there we are: with the streets on fire.
