Minister cries foul over Cantona's call to revolution

CAN ERIC Cantona bring down the global banking system? The footballer, actor, photographer, martial artist, amateur philosopher and folk hero to millions has achieved quite a bit in his 44 years, but bringing about the collapse of capitalism has always eluded him.

We should know today if he can put that right. In a low-key, relaxed call to revolution, Cantona mused during an interview with a French local paper in October on how people might shift the prevailing world order.

The days when great change could be achieved by protesting on the streets had passed, he remarked. Revolution had to take new forms.

“What’s the system? The system revolves around banks, the system is built on the banks’ power. So it can be destroyed by the banks. Instead of having three million people going out to demonstrate with a placard, those three million people go to their bank branch, they withdraw their money and the banks crumble.”

The answer was simple: “You go to your bank in your village and you withdraw your money.”

Over the past few weeks, Cantona’s call has slowly gained momentum. In a country where popular loathing of the banks long predates the current crisis, pledges of support have grown steadily.

A Facebook page has attracted tens of thousands of supporters, while a new movement formed to take up Cantona’s cause named “December 7th” as the day for a run on the banks.

Even senior government ministers have been called into the fray.

“He is a great footballer, but I’m not sure we need to pay heed to all his suggestions,” finance minister Christine Lagarde said. “There are those who play football magnificently and I would not dare to try. I think it’s best for everyone to stick to their own speciality.”

The man himself has seemed a little surprised that his musings have caused such a fuss, but he told Libération this week that he would heed his own call.

“Given the strange solidarity that has sprung up, yes. On December 7th, I’ll be at the bank.”

On the left, declarations of support have been noticeably scarce. Bank officials’ unions have warned that the protest could jeopardise their members’ jobs, while senior figures at France’s largest banks have said hundreds of millions would have to be withdrawn at once for it to have any effect.

Since banks require several days’ notice for large withdrawals, they say that’s unlikely.

Sceptics have also quipped that Cantona himself – a ubiquitous brand-sponsor for pens, shoes, teas, cars and many other consumer goods – could cause a one-man shock to the banking system simply by emptying his own accounts.