British phlegm was praised. The British now praise the French phlegm in the face of violence. On Twitter, the hashtag #BeMoreFrench (read, “Be more French”) popped up over some videos of recent protest-related violence. In Saint-Etienne, for example, we see a full restaurant and customers eating quietly while the street seems to be on fire.
Another video shows a couple sitting on the terrace of a cafe while firecrackers are thrown at a fire burning in the street. Once again, the quiet discussion over a glass of wine made netizens visibly laugh.
Beyond these videos, the hashtag was quickly taken up by the British to praise the fight of the French for their social rights, within the framework of the pension reform. #BeMoreFrench peaked at 35,000 views on March 25, according to Visibrain.
It must be said that in the United Kingdom the retirement age is set at 66 years and could rise to 67 in 2027. In a country hit hard by political scandals and inflation, France appears to some as a model of resistance.
Even the conservatives seem to be eyeing France. In a prominent column in the conservative newspaper The Telegraph, editorialist Sam Brodbeck says that on the subject of pensions “we should all be more French.”
Source: BFM TV
