Paris
More than 60 percent of French workers took Monday off this week in observance of Pentecost, even though the holiday was officially canceled last year. The government abolished the holiday to raise money to care for the elderly. The move was sparked by national embarrassment over the deaths of some 15,000 old people who perished in stifling apartments during the heat wave of 2003. Giving up a three-day weekend, though, is proving difficult. Massive strikes over Pentecost last year prompted the government to offer a compromise, allowing public-sector workers such as teachers and doctors to stay home while asking workers in private companies to come in. French newspapers mocked the plan as “hypocritical” and “dumb.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocratFeature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlockFeature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
