Keylor Interviewed on Yellow Vests Protests in France
William Keylor, Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was interviewed for a recent article on the ongoing yellow vests protests in France.
Keylor was quoted in an April 19, 2019 article in Penza News entitled “Yellow Vests Protests in France Significantly Reduce Current Government’s Popularity.“
From the text of the article:
William Keylor, Professor of International Relations and History Emeritus, the Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University, shared the opinion of deep inequality in modern French society.
“The so-called Yellow Vest protests reflect a growing sense among average French people that the country is dominated by a small elite of very wealthy families and individuals, while the major of French people are struggling to make ends meet. The contrast between the wealthy few and the struggling many has caused significant conflict within the country. President Macron is seen as a defender of the wealthy elite,” the expert said.
However, in his opinion, this continuing protest will hardly threaten the position of President Macron who has a large majority in the French parliament.
“On the other hand, the polls demonstrate that public opinion has turned decisively against him. He was elected with a huge majority and enjoyed strong support from the population, according to the polling at the time,” William Keylor said.
“Despite this unrest, France is a prosperous country, despite a relatively high unemployment rate. I suspect that eventually the Yellow Vest protests will decline, and the political and social system will recover from this challenge,” the analyst added.
William Keylor served four consecutive terms as Chairman of the Department of History at Boston University (1988-2000) and has been Director of the International History Institute since 1999. At Boston University, he has received the Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Methodist Scholar-Teacher Award.