France has a special place in my heart. My days working there on sabbatical as a teacher and researcher and my shorter visits were very good times. I can thank my French colleges Claude Gary-Bobo and Michelle Thellier who wasw a member of the French Academy of Science. Michelle had me address the Academy about my work in complexity. I had some interesting exchanges with Jacques Monod and René Thom that memorable day.
My experiences there were very enriching. I wore out two pairs of shoes waqlking around Paris when I worked with Claude at the Collège de France, University of Paris, and the CEA Saclay. Both these men were very active in the French Communist Party
Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a strong influence in French politics, especially at the local level. In 2012, the PCF claimed 138,000 members including 70,000 who have paid their membership fees.[5] This would make it the third largest party in France in terms of membership after the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and the Socialist Party (PS).
Founded in 1920 by the majority faction of the socialist French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO), it participated in three governments:
in the provisional government of the Liberation (1944–1947),
at the beginning of François Mitterrand's presidency (1981–1984) and
in Plural Left cabinet led by Lionel Jospin (1997–2002).
It was also once the largest French left-wing party in a number of national elections, from 1945 to 1960, before falling behind the Socialist Party in the 1970s. The PCF has lost further ground to the Socialists since that time.
Read on below and I'll share more.
Claude lived in one of the Banlieues rouges just on the edge of Paris.
The banlieues rouges ("red banlieues") are the outskirt districts of Paris where, traditionally, the French Communist Party held mayorships and other elected positions. Examples of these include Ivry-sur-Seine, and Malakoff. Such communities often named streets after Soviet personalities, such as rue Youri Gagarine.
Needless to say the contrast between French democracy and what we call democracy here is quite striking. Experiencing a few general strikes when the people shut the whole country down made me understand how people power can work.
My last sabbatical was with Michelle in Mont-Saint-Aignan where I taught at the University and did research with Michelle.
My many other shorter trips were to work on our research in both places. These trips were very productive in many ways.
Michelle also lived in a small village that had its government run by elected communists. Michelle took me to the polls during a local election and I had a lesson in the way local French democracy works. It was very impressive.
I could go on and on but let me just end by telling you that the politics I was able to observe close up in France left a lasting impression on me. When peopled by men and women like Claude and Michelle and their wives democracy can be a very living force and day to day life can be a healthy mix of hard work at one's profession mixed with a small part in running the local and National governments.
Much of what I write here grows out of having tasted that in the real world. Not abstract theory but life on a day to day basis.
So I celebrate with the wonderful French people today as I do every year. I only wish I could share what I learned about them with more Americans.