Magic and Politics in Paris
• On Tuesday night, M. Mendes-France won a vote of con- fidence on his bill for special powers to carry out his economic programme, and he won, with a bit more of a struggle, a vote to delay discussion of his North African policy until August 27. But it was clear from the debate that the spell that he casts upon the country loses much of is magic inside the .Palais Bourbon. Not only has he embittered the MRP by his policy on Indo-China and is certain to embitter the Gaullists when it comes to the EDC debate, but his policy on North Africa appears to have embittered some even in his own Radical party. For the present, all is well; he has his vote of con- fidence. But there are three major threats to his position. The first is the growing crisis in Morocco. The second is the problem of how he is going to implement his economic pro- gramme. Powers are one thing; but to rejuvenate non- productive industries costs money; to provide a ' fund for the redeployment of man power' costs money, and the Assembly has denied him the right to spend in anticipation of next year's budget. Without money, there is only one way to increase productivity in France and that is the brutal way of exposing both the industries and the inefficiently employed labour to competition; but this would mean hardship, and hardship would mean offending the trade unions, and the co-operation of the trade unions must be central to any policy of expanding pro- duction without inflation. The third threat to M. Mencles- France's position comes from the debate on the European Defence Community, to which he has now committed his government before August is over: More will be known of his intentions when he meets his .five allies in Brussels later this month. Meanwhile, he has no visible majority for EDC.
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