The French paradox or how to annoy your neighbours

Résumé du document

France is currently one of the leading countries of the world. However, the present situation appears fragile as France seems unwilling to accept and face the challenges brought about by globalization. People in France, as well as their representatives, have trouble accepting the trend towards free markets, deregulation and decentralization as they consider it as a threat rather than an opportunity. Despite these drawbacks, France has managed to maintain its top rank intact. The question, however, is whether it can last.

Extraits

[...] France is suffering from various economic and social problems. They all constitute issues which are quite hard to tackle. Peter Gumbel in to a better tomorrow” describes the inefficiency of the French health-care system, which is becoming increasingly expensive, as well as the complexity of the employment system, which comprises twenty different types of labour contracts. As a result, despite some job creations thanks to the 35 hours and to policies reducing the social security charges employers have to pay for low-paid workers, unemployment remains very high. [...]

[...] Moreover, Bruce Crumley's article shows that these suburbs concentrate most of the French ills: high unemployment, juvenile delinquency, drug trafficking For Marie-Louise Fort, mayor of Sens, one of the main reasons for this situation is the failure of the educational system: school attendance is very low, as most children live in poor households with few means and do not believe the educational system is able to improve their situation and give them a job. As a result, French people take to the streets, expressing their discontent. They distrust most of the government's initiatives and moves toward change. As Peter Gumbel puts it, ‘France is spectacularly good at saying non”. In March 2006, French students demonstrated against a new labour contract initiated by Villepin, which aimed at improving young people's employment by giving employers the possibility to fire them within two years without having to pay compensation for breach of contract. [...]

[...] This group is represented through some determined individuals, who try to implement new projects and gradually bring change with them. The article to a better tomorrow” refers to anonymous technocrats, who do not have flamboyant political programmes but favour pragmatic actions and progressive reforms which eventually bring substantial progress. This is the case of Bruno Parent, a top civil servant at the Finance Ministry, who participated in the restructuration of his ministry, after the failure of the Finance Minister's plan in 2000. [...]

[...] For example, Christian Sautter paid the price for his plan to shake up the Finance Ministry, losing his job as Finance Minister. According to Peter Gumbell, on the issue of unemployment and labour-market regulations, Villepin did not venture to reshape the whole system, but instead proposed another labour contract adding to the existing complexity. Bruce Crumley in massive project” underlines the instability of French governments, recalling Villepin and Sarkozy's successive changes of positions in and out of the government from 2002 to 2006. [...]

[...] The government is also making real efforts towards change and comprehensive reforms. Indeed, although the article “Colbert was here” notes that state interventionism has always been high in France, taking as an example the successive waves of nationalisations made by governments, first in the 1930's, then in the 1980's, the article to a better tomorrow” refutes this, underlining that in the past decade, left and right- wing governments both led important privatization policies. It also mentions the pensions reform which was eventually made in 2003, and put France in a situation more acceptable in comparison to most of its neighbours. [...]