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Instead, Chirac's "third path" will eventually lead Europeans toward the American model. They will take it slow: along the way they'll witness more strikes, as in France last December; governments thrown out by voters, as in Sweden; and showdowns between unions and employers, as in Germany now. The politicians could make the ride easier on themselves if they'd start telling people that the destination might not be so horrible after all. --With reporting by Greg Burke/Rome and Thomas Sancton/Paris