Paris. File photoPARIS, May 19Several French trade unions called for a strike outside the French Foreign Ministry on the Quai d'Orsay on June 2 due to a «looming avalanche of reforms», in particular to reduce the size of the diplomatic corps, reports on Thursday Agence France Presse. Six trade unions, as well as a group of 400 young diplomats, are dissatisfied with the reform, which involves the reduction of consular activities and the reduction of jobs in diplomatic departments by 50%. They are all concerned about the «gradual disappearance» of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose number of diplomats has already halved in less than 30 years. protest action outside the parliament building The most controversial reform concerns the «gradual abolition» by 2023 of two historic positions in French diplomacy — ministers plenipotentiary and foreign affairs advisers. It is assumed that these diplomats, who number about 700 people, should be part of the new body of «state administrators». According to the diplomats, «these measures to dismantle the diplomatic corps are nonsense at a time when war has returned to Europe.» This strike will become the second in the history of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first took place in 2003 because of benefits. France is in third place after the United States and China in terms of the number of diplomatic corps in the world. About 14,000 people work for the French Foreign Ministry.
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