Can the Fifth Republic Survive?

Eventually, the riots and fires in France will die out--in spite of police inaction. At some point in time, rioters will run out of cars to torch or will just become bored with the whole thing and stop.

The question now becomes, how long can the French Fifth Republic survive after the last ember has flickered out? Notwithstanding sentimental rhetoric, the Republic has failed miserably to mainstream its large number of Arab and African immigrants who have been socio-economically marginalized and physically corralled into densely populated suburban ghettos.

Institutional racism remains a major fact of life in ostensibly progressive and welcoming France. In fact, institutional racism is a Europe-wide phenomenon. Having lived in Europe for two years, I have seen the ugly face of institutional racism hidden behind the facade of enlightened rhetoric. Action speaks louder than words, and in Europe there has been very little action to match the rhetoric of ethnic and racial equality. As I had often noted to friends when I was living in Europe, the Continent, as a whole, was about 20 years behind the United States when it comes to race relations. Yet, ironically and basely, the European press gleefully snickers at Americans every time there's some racially motivated incident in the United States. And now that France is burning, the unpleasant truth has come out.

I am not gloating or am I excusing these reprehensible criminal acts that are currently taking place in France. The immigrant communities need to proactively assimilate to French customs and culture. After all, they are in France, in Europe now. Stop trying to replicate the institutions, customs and mores of the places from which you had fled!

Can Charles de Gaulle's Fifth Republic survive? Or will it take a new Sixth Republic to address the issues of racial equality, cultural assimilation and economic prosperity for all French citizens?