Chirac is losing his grip while the riots carry on

Chirac is not giving the impression that he is in charge of affairs during the "carbeque" riots. His television appearances are wan. He avoids mentioning the riots a much as possible.

"He has said virtually nothing about it, heightening perceptions of him as a politically irrelevant figure. He looked pale and deflated on Thursday in a rare public appearance, prompting rumours that the blood vessel problem for which he was hospitalised for a week in September — some described it as a mild stroke — might have inflicted more damage than previously acknowledged."

The French voters already gave Chirac the boot over the EU referendum. Chirac has not recovered from that yet. Moreover he has health problems and had a operation for what was perhaps a mild stroke this summer. Now the minorities in France are rejecting the law and order bid of his projected successor Sarkozy. Most likely the right wing voters Chirac and Sarkozy wanted to please are only going to move further to the right with all the rioting.

"The 72-year-old head of state has been off balance ever since voters defied him by rejecting the European Union constitution in May. Even his lieutenants in the centre-right governing team seemed to be putting the boot in. “Chirac looks stunned, almost overtaken by events,” Jean-Louis Debré, president of the national assembly, was quoted as saying."

France is looking at political instability in the near future. There are no cheap or easy solutions for this situation. And the chasm between Europeans and non-whites is only widening, not just in France, but all over Europe.

This should be a warning to England, Belgium and Sweden. Politicians there should try to limit immigration in order to calm the situation. This will cause problem for the brave leader who speaks out, but when things heat up, he or she will be seen as a prophet.