In December 1995, France experienced its most massive strike since May 1968. As public sector workers rose up against a sweeping overhaul of the social security system proposed by the Juppé government, others gritted their teeth and struggled to get to work in the freezing cold. It was a France on strike versus a France still at work: the public sector pitted against the private sector. It was a strike that left a deep, lasting impression, and one that would significantly shape the career of Alain Juppé.
