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But that alone won't be enough to defuse the anger. "The French just don't think the political class can attack these problems," says Stephane Rozes, a political analyst and pollster. "They see gestures, not problem solving." For years, disgruntled immigrant youths have been trying to attract government attention--occasionally by mounting violent disturbances like last week's. But France has clung to its belief that once black and Muslim and Arab newcomers arrive, they are officially French and do not need special treatment to guarantee their equality. While in theory the children of immigrants have the same rights as their white counterparts, many suffer persistent discrimination when it comes to jobs, decent housing and upward mobility. They have virtually no political leaders--just one current Cabinet minister is Algerian-born--to carry their interests into the halls of power. Many of France's estimated 5 million Muslims feel the country has promised more than it has delivered. Not surprisingly, despair and anger run deep.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité are ideals that France has nurtured over the centuries. But they were in little evidence last week around Paris. Changing that will require the French to confront the widening disparities between those in the banlieues and the rest of the country. Until then, the rage and resentment inflaming the streets will surely continue to smolder.