I couldn’t agree more with Alexander Hurst and his analysis of French society today (Has France really gone to hell? Its catastrophist discourse is at odds with the facts, 1 May).
Born and raised in France, I lived abroad for 26 years. Inevitably, I disagree with many of my compatriots on a number of issues, having lived in different cultures. I find that French people, for the most part, take for granted a generous social security system, including a unique income support for performing artists as mentioned in the article, and many other government schemes.
When I tell friends that, wherever I lived, I was never allowed to take more than two weeks of holiday in a row, they gasp. In France, people are obsessed with holidays and the country slows down in tune with school breaks. In some countries, if you lose your job, you’re on your own with no benefits – French people cannot fathom that.
Anne Depaulis
Saint-Mandé, France
• I could not agree more with Alexander Hurst’s piece on France. My wife, son and I moved to Paris from Los Angeles six months ago. We are truly amazed at how good it is here. The metro (consistently derided by Parisians) works extremely well, is clean and is safe. We have found French people to be extremely polite and nice. And the prices (for food in particular) are substantially cheaper than in the US.
When speaking to French people, the first question 100% of them ask is: “You moved from Los Angeles to Paris – why?” They have the perception, which Mr Hurst so deftly explains, that France has become a hellhole. France does have its issues, but they are relatively minor compared to the much larger issues in our home country.
Dustin Finer
Paris, France
• In France we have a very special word to describe this – râler. Râler is very much a part of French culture. There is no proper translation in English: “It makes me mad”, or “furious”, doesn’t quite hit the mark.
We French are in a permanent hell because, even when things are the greatest they have ever been, we will always râler about something. Welcome to France, it is how we are.
Nicholas Tilson
Bordeaux, France
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