ABSTRACT
There was a great Frenchman on the Today radio programme last week, hailing the delivery of a 20,000 signature political petition, unimaginable in Britain. It was signed by assorted scientists, writers, lawyers, actors, poets and professors, unanimously protesting against the ‘anti-intellectualism’ of the French government, notably the Premier Ministre, Jean-Pierre Raffarin. ‘He is always speaking,’ said the Frenchman witheringly, ‘of “La France d’en bas”. He wants to oppose the people to the intellectuals.’
