European Financial Meltdown–Man self-immolated in front of the employment center in Nantes France

Nantes, France: A 43-year-old man has committed suicide by setting himself on fire in front of a French employment agency in the city of Nantes. Michel Sapin, French Minister for Labour and Employment was of the view that it was a “terrible tragedy”



“Today is a big day for me because i am going to self-immolate in front of the employment agency,” one of the letters read.



“A surveillance was set up today, close to the agency employment center. But this man came from a side street. He was already in flames and out of sight of police,” a local officer said.

Philippe Boat from CGT Chômeurs, a branch of the CGT trade union which fights for the rights of unemployed persons, told The Local that France’s benefits system is “inhumane” and its rules had caused the man’s break down.

“This man should have been given money by the Pôle Emploi because he had been working but the staff stuck to the rules and those rules caused this incident. They need to change,” he said. “The system is too complicated…the Pôle Emploi has cut relations with those seeking jobs. Everything is done on the phone or internet which excludes a lot of people,” Boat added.
