France's political and economic situation

The weekly evaluates France's position in a global political context. "The French have invented a buzzword: declinism, summing up the belief that the country is unreformable. ... France matters. ... A permanent member of the UN Security Council and a declared nuclear power.It was a founder of today's European Union, a driving force behind the creation of the single currency and - despite French voters' rejection of the draft EU constitution in May 2005 - a longstanding promoter of deeper European integration. It is in part thanks to France's paralysis that the union is itself so uncertain of its direction. ... France is a place in which, for almost every weakness, it is possible to find a matching strength. The question is whether France can now build on these strengths by bringing in pro-competitive reforms ... If the next French president can push through the reforms needed to restore the country's competitiveness, France could rebound far more quickly than the déclinologues assert."

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » France

» To the complete press review of Friday, October 27, 2006