FRANCE UNDER RECESSION,

Transcription

1 FRANCE UNDER RECESSION,

2 Also by John Tuppen FRANCE (Studies in Industrial Geography) THE ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF FRANCE

3 France under Recession, John Tuppen Lecturer in Geography University of Salford M MACMILLAN PRESS

4 lohn Tuppen 1988 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended), or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Alfred Place, London WCIE 7DP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. First published 1988 Published by THE MACMILLAN PRESS L TD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world Typeset by Latimer Trend & Company Ltd Plymouth British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Tuppen, lohn N. France under recession, I. France-Social conditions I. Title '8 HN425.5 ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI /

5 To my parents

6 Contents List of Tables List of Figures List of Cartoons Preface ix x Xl Xli 1 France in the 1980s 1 The Economy under Recession 2 Society in Transition 13 A New Political Framework 18 A Spatial Dimension to Change 26 2 Society in Disarray 30 A New Society? 30 Crime on the Increase 39 The Battle against Unemployment 47 Immigration: Conflict, Controversy and Misunderstanding 68 A Society 'a deux vitesses'? 88 3 Restructuring the Economy 90 The Impact of Recession 91 Overhauling Industry 98 The Realities of Restructuring II I Which Way for Growth? 129 High-Tech and the Computer Age 138 What Future? Revitalising the City 163 An Urban Crisis? 163 Urban Centres lose their Dynamism 168 Rehabilitating Inner Urban Areas 177 La Banlieue 187 Wider Dimensions to Urban Change Power to the Provinces 209 Decentralising Economic Activity: The Balance Sheet 210 Decentralisation under Mitterrand 225 Vll

7 viii Contents The Reality of Decentralisation: Controversial Issues 238 The Region and Regional Planning 246 Decentralisation - Four Years On The State of the Nation 257 Notes and References 264 Select Bibliography 268 Index 271

8 List of Tables 1.1 The major French companies, Annual change in spending power Composition of the French National Assembly The increase in criminal offences, The increase in unemployment in EEC member countries since Selected characteristics of the unemployed population, Major immigrant groups in France, Increases in gross domestic product Changes in the employed population Employment change in manufacturing industry, Financial results of nationalised industries, Output in the French car industry Major companies in France specialising in the production of data-processing equipment, Grenoble: Changes in population and employment, Variations in population, Changing patterns of house building Jobs created by foreign firms in France, Local authority expenditure, IX

9 List of Figures 1.1 Performance indicators of the French economy Changing trends in inflation and unemployment Regional patterns of employment change The regional pattern of unemployment, 1975 and The foreign population in France, Areas of priority development for industry Science parks and zones of high-technology industries Major urban centres in France, The 'Grand Ensemble' of Les Minguettes, Lyon The contractual planning system The budget for the contract-plan of Ile-de-France 252 x

10 List of Cartoons 1 Tackling youth unemployment 2 Industrial decline - counting the cost 3 Suburban malaise 4 The mysteries of decentralisation I would like to thank Jean Plantu, who kindly gave permission to use his cartoons. xi

11 Preface As France moved into the 1980s the outlook for the country appeared unpromising. Economic expansion had given way to stagnation, a once-flourishing industrial sector now seemed unable to respond effectively to rapidly changing markets and new technologies, and the growing protest over rising unemployment represented but one manifestation of an increasingly divided and dissatisfied society. Over the early part of the present decade such negative trends were intensified, as France slipped deeper into recession. Yet by the mid-1980s there were indications of an upturn in the economy, despite the persistence of certain weaknesses, notably a continuing problem of unemployment and the country's high level of indebtedness. An important change in the direction of the country's affairs accompanied this period of transition, for between 1981 and the early part of 1986 France was governed by the Socialists. This transfer of power held a special interest, for it represented the first occasion during the life of the Vth Republic that a left-wing president and government had controlled the nation's destiny. Moreover, in their quest for a solution to the country's mounting difficulties, the Socialists adopted, at least initially, a very different range of policies from their predecessors. It is this period of substantial change that provides the framework for the present account. Within this context the aim is to appraise the recent pattern of social and economic development in France, with particular reference to the impact of recession and the socialist prescription for revival. Rather than attempt a comprehensive review of such a broad topic, a selective approach is adopted. Thus in each chapter analysis is focused on a limited number of significant changes and key issues which became the subject of extensive debate in the 1980s; and to help illustrate these themes extensive use is made of case studies. Finally, where appropriate, analysis is carried out at a regional as well as national level, giving a spatial dimension to the study. The text is divided into five main sections. Of these the first is designed to paint a backcloth to recent change in France, indicating its various economic, social, political and geographical dimensions. In the second chapter a more detailed appraisal is undertaken of a series of contemporary and often contentious social problems; particular Xli

12 Preface Xlll emphasis is given to the subjects oflaw and order, unemployment and immigration. Then in Chapter 3 attention switches to the country's economic difficulties and to the opportunties for stimulating new growth. The need to restructure and revitalise the economy has been a matter of major concern, not least because of the implications for national prosperity and personal well-being: hence the considerable emphasis placed on this topic. In the following chapter the focus shifts to France's main urban areas. With a majority of the country's population now living in its towns and cities, many of the adverse effects of the recession have inevitably had most impact on these areas, contributing to the notion of an urban crisis. Increased demands for policies of rehabilitation and regeneration have resulted, themes which are examined in detail in this section. Finally in Chapter 5 the question of decentralisation is considered. This has been a vital policy issue throughout the postwar period, first in the economic domain and then more recently in relation to the growing demand for the devolution of government decision-making power; carrying through reform in this latter field became a prime objective for the Socialists, designed to underpin their wider economic and social policies. In writing this account I have been extremely fortunate to benefit from the help and support of many people. To them all I extend my most sincere thanks, but there are a number to whom I would like to say a special 'thank-you'. Part of my research was undertaken while on sabbatical leave at Lyon and I am most grateful for the assistance given by colleagues in the Department of Geography at the University of Lyon III where I was based during my stay. In particular I wish to thank Paul Mingret, not only for his advice and ability to provide a seemingly endless supply of contacts, but also for his extreme kindness to all my family. Other university colleagues to whom I am particularly grateful, at Lyon and elsewhere, are Bernard Barbier, Jean Billet, Jacques Bonnet, Marc Bonneville, Pierre Bruyelle, Etienne Dalmasso, Charles Gachelin and Michele Joannon. Numerous other people in many different spheres of French life were most generous in offering their assistance, providing information, explaining policies or generally helping to guide my enquiries. In this respect I am especially grateful to Fran~oise Gaspard and Claude Belot for their willingness to discuss with me a wide range of issues, and to Jacqueline Letellier and Jocelyne Lerouge for supplying numerous statistics. I would also like to express my appreciation for the help given by Aline Adam, Jean-Pierre Aldeguer, Brigitte Belloc,

13 XIV Preface Philippe Brom, Tilly Bussman, Franc;ois Chevalier, Gisele Clare, Marie-Franc;ois Crozat, Dominique Fache, Yves lenn, Marie Masson, lean-pierre Portefait, Michel Sene let, Christophe Tampon- Lajarriette and Bruno Voisin. As I travelled around France the kindness and hospitality of many friends was greatly appreciated; in particular my thanks are due to Agnes, Franc;oise, Germain, lose, Mario, Marguerite, Monique and Vincent. On the technical side I am very grateful to Gustav Dobrzynski for his skilful execution of the maps and diagrams, and to Diane Wilson for her expert typing of the text, a task she undertook with much patience and good humour. Very special thanks are merited by my family, not least my wife Valerie who coped admirably with her own job, a move of house and to France, typing the original draft and looking after the rest of us. Finally, 'thank-you' to Emma and Helen for reminding me that there are in fact more important things in life than France! lohn TUPPEN