I'm telling you, this will not end well.*
From France24, January 23:
French bakers protest as beloved baguette faces threat from rising costs
Dressed in aprons and brandishing baguettes, hundreds of bakers demonstrated in the streets of Paris on Monday to warn that the country's beloved bread and croissant makers were under threat from surging electricity and raw material costs.
"We feel like there's a huge injustice," said Sylvie Leduc from the rural Dordogne region who had travelled to the capital for the protest. "We know how to run a business, that's not a problem, but we're faced with increases that are just impossible to pass on to customers."
The protest was yet another sign of the anger and incomprehension felt by many French people over the sudden price hikes linked to the war in Ukraine, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic that hit global supply chains.
Bakers were already struggling with higher butter and flour costs, while the price of eggs has also spiked because of a national bird flu outbreak that has hit many French farms.
The final straw for many of the country's 35,000 bakeries has been the annual renewal of their electricity contracts, with suppliers suddenly asking for astronomical monthly payments in 2023.
Leduc's husband Jean-Philippe said their power bill had increased six-fold in January, meaning they could hang on for only a few more months before being forced to close -- unless financial help arrived....
....If you've never studied mid/late 18th century French economic history it can be summarized as:
Food got expensive.
There were riots.
(oh, and Necker)
Pericles Press: France - The Economic History
—Chronology of Economic Events
1768
Riots over prices in Le Havre and Nantes. 1770
Riots in Rheims. 1774
Government efforts to deal with shortages lead to popular rumors of a 'famine pact' among the nobility to starve the people.
May 10 - Louis XVI ascends to throne of France. 1775
Poor harvest in the fall.
April 27-May - "Flour War"
Bread prices in Paris increase by over 50%..
Rioting starts at Beaumont-sur-Oise, spreads to Paris..
Hundreds arrested, two executed, before order is restored.
June 11 - Coronation of Louis XVI.
....MUCH MORE
