France’s economic dilemma
MADRID | By Álex García.
France
France’s 19th Century Foreign Policy Fails in 2014
President Francois Hollande faces the question of whether Paris should have intervened in the CAR, where a significant percentage of the country’s citizens view France’s intervention as a form of 21st century neo-colonialism. France was clearly naïve to believe that deploying fewer than 2,000 troops to a destabilized nation bordering on anarchy and awash with arms would restore stability.
To Fulfill New Year’s Wishes, France Needs to Boost Revenues
MADRID | By Julia Pastor | France just started to go through its new year’s checklist. President Hollande announced last week budgetary cuts of €50 billion for 2015-2017, in addition to those €15bn revealed in September. The country urgently needs to increase revenues and it could do it via the sale of state-owned companies stakes such as a French and European reference like Airbus.
Is France the Euro Zone’s New Bashing Victim?
Op-ed by Ana Fuentes | We no longer hear about ‘Spailout’ nor ‘Grexit’, but there seems to be a euro zone’s new victim: France. A Newsweek magazine article called ‘The fall of France’ wondered about the Hexagone’s economic health and how it may be a burden for the EZ’s recovery. The problem is, some of the stated facts were wrong. French media are striking back.
France: Where reforms need to be made
LONDON | By Barclays analysts | France’s macroeconomic situation does not look that bad and on average the country compares well with other developed economies. It does not suffer from a major imbalance in terms of yearly flows (trade, finances, etc). However, weaknesses, perniciously accumulating over the years, have now been laid bare by the crisis.
Rajoy and Hollande Team Up For Euro Zone Banking Union
MADRID | By Julia Pastor | Amidst their talks about economic policies and speed railway connections between Spain and France, both Mariano Rajoy and François Hollande met in Madrid on Wednesday. However, the visit bottomline is to seek for a common stance on banking supervision.
France: ‘Government under tax pressure’
PARIS | By La Croix via Presseurop | “There is growing wind of revolt against the government’s fiscal policy,” explains La Croix in the wake of a weekend of violent demonstrations in Brittany agains the ecotaxe, a new environmental tax on road transport.
‘France: 24% — the frightening poll’
PARIS | By François Bazin at Le Nouvel Observateur via Presseurop | “For the first time,” the Front National (FN) has taken the lead in a survey of voting intentions in France, reports an Le Nouvel Observateur.
France Wants to Reinvent Herself… But to Become What?
THE CORNER’S OP-ED | “La nouvelle France industrielle” (the new industrial France). Amid widespread resentment of the population, that’s François Hollande’s slogan for his new state-aided plan to boost the economy. The country has the fifth highest GDP in the world, although the effects of the economic crisis are deepening. The latest figures have brought the number of unemployed to more than three million. Will Paris succeed in taking the reins?
Hollande saves the day
MADRID | By J.P. Marín Arrese | Figures for the second quarter announced by the European Commission must have exerted a soothing effect on badly mauled Hollande. Growth is back in France, even if it only amounts to 0.5%.