Mr Parris, what a sadistic and ignoble path to reform you desire! You seem to, perhaps correctly, recognize the inadequacy of both protectionist France and Bush-led American neoconservatism. But rather than advocate their immediate defeat, you would see their respective citizens suffer mightily under their governments' continued reign until their plight is so wretched that radical change is inevitable? You rooted for a Bush victory, and now "hope there is another, final, US troop 'surge' in Iraq, to test that strategy, too, to destruction." Have you no regard for the deaths of the countless more soldiers and innocent civilians that would result, or the continued unemployment and stagnation in France? Of course you may be right that complete, immediate reform is impossible. But rather than hope for gradual progress and to educate your readers of its successes as it happens, you prefer to sadistically revel in the utter failure of the status quo until it implodes. How immature!

Matthew, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Why should Brits or Yanks care about the ridiculous French anyway.

France can not stop the rules of economics, just as man can not stop the tides. Eventually they will reform or they will see their economy collapse rather quickly. Remember the Soviets anyone?

No, there are no special rules or exceptions for France, sooner or later they will have to pay.

Ed , New York,

I believe Matthew Parris has accurately encapsulated the motives and prejudices of the French as they approach the election. The French will eagerly wave and salute their Tricolor, unlike the British who are generally uncomfortable with such blatant displays of nationalism. However, the French vote will be more influenced by their deeply rooted prejudices than any willingness to accept that a fundamental shift in political direction is essential if their nation's economical health is to recover and flourish.

Nick Rayner, Haute Vienne, France

This interesting article is also a very good explanation of the no from the French voters to the European constitution.
Never forget France is a Soviet union that works however badly

kerstin hallert, paris, france

Very interesting article. I'm certainly not an expert on France, but I've found cities outside of Paris to be preferrable. Paris was a dissapointment. There is a lack of energy, happiness, or something I just can't put my finger on.

I have seen Chirac presented as a "right-wing" president by the media, and by American standards, he is definitely left. I can only assume that Sarkozy by these standards would be moderate.

In the US, government services provide few options and miserable standards. I don't understand why they would be in such demand anywhere. I have a sense that France lives with these low standards and somehow they are dilluded into percieving themselves as superior, because of it. But as the saying goes, perception is reality.

Based on my trips, I don't think the French are happy, but I don't think they know why. Leftist propaganda is strong and their resentment is misplaced on everything else but the root of the problem.

Michelle, Miami, Fl, USA

The French cannot change. The whole EU project has one function only -to finance France. It's why it was set up So Brown and all the other ministers who force their populations to pay taxes to support the EU are forcing their populations to pay for all the youths who live on social security and riot whenever they feel like it. Go to Portugal if you want to see a country with the same problems as France but without the EU funds and clout. A good place to see expats living the good life and defending the status quo because it suits them too. Just like France

Emily W, cambridge, uk

As a British person living in France (and as someone who spent his teenage years living through the Thatcher years) I sincerely hope that Segolene Royal wins, but for different reasons to Matthew Parris. Many British commentators seem to think that France needs a strong dose of Thatcherism to cure its ills. I disagree. France may see the headline rates of low unemployment and strong growth as something to aspire to, but it should also look at the huge poverty, poor public services and yob culture that exists as well. British society is much the poorer for the Thatcherite revolution despite what the economic indicators suggest. Segolene Royal has a different vision for how France should adapt that follows the Scandinavian rather than the British approach. I think this is more suited to France and I hope she succeeds.

Jack, Paris, France

"France must break free" - this is true. Let us hope that the second half of the title "But the time isn't ripe for Sarko" is untrue - if Sarkozy wins, he should follow (and he probably will) the maxim of Wilhelm of Orange : "It is not necessary to hope to undertake, nor to succeed to perseverre".

Excellent article, Mr. Parris. Why did your parents put a double "r" in the family name ?

Strohl, Colmar, France

There's a lot of truth in this piece but you know why 2007 France is not like 1997 England? Because there is no 'hatred and fear of the trade unions' no 'detestation of suffocating state bureaucracy', and no 'contempt for the incompetence of nationalised industries'. Because much of France still functions and its citizens in many respects are to be envied rather than pitied. France has a wonderful health service, great transport infrastructure and their daily lives are more literate and more dignified than anything we have here. I was in Paris yesterday and what a pleasure to be treated like a citizen and not as a consumer. How wonderful to be in their tubes, buses and streets without somebody thrusting the 'Paris Lite' in my face. The French want to protect what is good in their society. Whereas in England (on the whole) we don't care anymore and are content merely to consume.

Paul Milican, London,

Very good article and incisive commentary.

Lets hope the French wakle up some time, and are not allowed to take the rest of us down with them, but rather forced to reform.

Neil Murphy, cromer,

Turning round a country takes time and, as I remember, Thatcher might well have lost her second election had it not been for her popularity after the Falkland's war. Perhaps we owe our present prosperity as much to General Galtieri as to Thatcher!

Robin Leggate, London,

spot on I'm afraid

paul, marbella,

your wrong, sergo will be the end of France. It will have more unemployed, a bigger debt, less small businesses, higher taxes, inflation, and assets as the capital will leave.

charles, cannes, france

Tories are wonderful myth-makers; the "Legend of Thatcher the Great" is coming along nicely. The simple truth is that Attlee dragged the country out of the 1930s and Thatcher did her best to shove it straight back. Why do you think it is that, even with a wildly unpopular Government, worn-out and media-bashed after three terms in office, the Tories still haven't a prayer of winning the next election?

Ken Leyland, Liverpool, U.K.

Al
Of course British people do not work for French employers. Most cannot speak French, and surprisingly enough, there is little demand here for people who don't speak French.

Rhys
While you are correct about Britain's unemployment figures, it is a mistake to assume that similar scams do not exist in France eg Convention de conversion is a handy way to keep you off the books for 6 months.

bill, paris,

The problem of France is largely that of the overcrowded and overweighted public sector that puts a drag on the economy. There are huge productivity gains to be carried out there. As for the private sector one should not beleive that it is so difficult to fire redundants employees, just see recent massive lay-off at Alcatel-Lucent, EADS/Airbus and others under way.
Even after all those wonderfull years under Ms Thatcher industial production in the UK is not higher than than of France and the trade balance has been in favor of France for decades albeit Oil exports from the UK.

Sarkozy is the only answer available to put France on a recovery track . . The bigest risk being that he turns out to be another Chirac.

Bruno, Paris, France

I agree with the writer in this one. If a young person like Alex has those opinion it is scary. A lot of French expats in the UK realise what is wrong with France. If some of them have opinions like Alex, what about the French in France.

If I was French, I would vote for Sarkozy. But I know Royal is going to win. The French are a long way off. They really need a shock to the system. They need 15-20% unemployment before they realise they have to change. I happened to Canada in the early 1990s, it took almost 7-8 years to recover.

William, Richmond, Canada

Wild capitalism destroys the planet and you praise its supporters...
Another world is possible! It is even more : desirable! Fortunately are men like Ken Loach alive to call upon resistance.

Francois, guingamp, France

A very interesting article. The French are apparently just like everyone else, always putting their own personal welfare ahead of that of the country or the society. One thing I just don't understand, why does the European press always have to put in a dig against President Bush? It is likely that history will consider George W. Bush to be one of greatest presidents and statesmen of all time, the savior of Western civilization. European intellectuals seem to be capable of incredible analysis of political issues, but then always fall into the tangled web of ideological stupidity when it comes to Bush 43. Get a life, and start being truly objective.

Larry, Stamping Ground, Kentucky USA

"He is duly doing so. Let us hope there is another, final, US troop “surge” in Iraq, to test that strategy, too, to destruction."


You had me, then you lost me. I don't take kindly to people wishing my country and my country's soldiers fighting for democracy, the rule of law, and free markets, to be killed and defeated by terrorist thugs who purposefully target civilians in hopes of setting up a religious totalitarian state.

So what side are you on?

Scott, Austin, Tx,

Matthew Parris as a truely cynical European rooted for President George W. Bush's reelection to make America's defeat against terrorism complete? You cannot imagine the contempt with which Americans hold Europeans, hope you never need us again. Eurpoe be dammned.

C.T.Binder, Moorestown, New Jersey, USA

no to nicolas the garden gnome only interested in his own persona yes to segolene whose project is to modernise the state and its institutions

apiteault, nanterre, france

But is France currently also "sick and dying" as the UK was in the 70s? I don't think so.

Aidan Broderick, Kyiv, Ukraine

I am a Brit living in France, watching this election with interest. I grew up under Thatcher and have naturally been rooting for Sarkozy, since Segolene seems to be intending to perpetuate the nanny-state tradition.

For all the French talk of dignity, it is impressive to see the extent to which vaste swathes of the population delegate responsibility for their lives to the state is impressive - hardly a dignified state of affairs. So I would agree with you in your assessment that the French have not yet turned the page on this infantile need to forever suckle at the breast of 'Marianne'.

Certainly if Sarkozy gets elected, there will eventually be riots and demonstrations. And if Segolene, more protected decline. So maybe you are right that Segolene is the necessary first step. France does still need to overcome its intellectual affair with the spectres of Jaures and Marx.

Dan , Toulouse, France

There is a complacency underlying articles like this - the complacency which comes from being rich as Croesus on the back of a dead-easy to do 'job' (being an MP and then pontificating or travel writing).

There is also a fantasy underlying it - that fantasy is that the UK is, by contrast with France, a country with very low unemployment levels. This is absolutely and objectively provably wrong: in fact there are some three million plus people of working age on 'Disability Benefit' which is for at least two million of them merely an enhanced form of Unemployment Benefit - the deal is they don;t get to figure on the Unemployment Register and in return they get a tenner extra a week and don't have to sign on every fortnight. But unemployed is what they are: together with the officially unemployed the UK's rate is much higher than that of France.
Plus we get vile public services, inefficient, grossly expensive trains, overcrowded roads, impossively expensive housing....

Rhys Burriss, Durham City, UK

R Heybroek of Horley, what a load of twaddle! The majority of British moving to France are either already wealthy and do not need to work there, or are working for non-French employers. My brother is one of the latter. In 1979 the British economy was much smaller than that of France. Now it is much larger. The British realise that the modern world economy is very competitive, and you have to work hard. It is no coincidence that the country with the longest working week in Western Europe is also the one with the lowest rate of unemployment.

al, london,

Most French citizens would agree that changes are required on the economical front. The problem is that a move toward a more liberal market is being seen as a move toward an American or English type of society. Now what is it in Britain or in the US that the French would so desperatly want that they would sacrifice they own way of life?

Pierre Peyrasse, Bangor, UK

Why must the success of an economy be based on simple statistics such as "unemployment" or "growth rate". There are many things which need to come together to give a real quality of life, as we all surely know. Crime, pollution, quality of housing, real spending power etc. I lived in Britain for 12 years and travel there frequently still. It is a fine country and people, but hardly a utopia. Most city centres are desolate wastelands. The yob culture is real and growing. Most public transport is hopeless and expensive resulting in jammed roads. The economic boom has been led by the housing bubble - about to end. Yet the Thatcher myth continues. Please calm down and show a little humility.

Mark Casali, Munich, Germany

R.Heybroek, unfortunately the British press is unbelievably biased and unprofessional in its reporting of European issues. The same drivel gets churned out day after day, and unfortunately I don't percieve its as much to do with democracy and soverignty, as much as tired, old outdated ideas of the continent and masked xenophobia. I see that Allo' Allo' is back on tonight! With stereotypes like this doing the round again and again, is it any wonder the British people never move on.

Jon Kingsbury, Southampton, UK

While Matthew is on the political Rive droit and I am on the rive gauche, I have to admit that this article shows a complete understanding of the problem, which we have in France. Nicolas Sarkozy would be an absolute disaster, whichever side of the political divide one stands. He has no subtlety and his mouth goes off, when his brain is not in gear. There may well be blood in the streets, should he become president; and if not, it will be because he has had to climb down on all of his promises.

Ségolène Royal should be everything that I want, were it not for the fact that she isn't. She has neither the political experience, nor the political nous to carry through the changes, which France needs. She certainly needs to have an iron fist but she needs to have it in a velvet glove, if she is to persuade the French to accept certain, necessary, changes.

Thank goodness for one thing, a Thatcherite attitude would never work in France.

Marc, St. Barthelemy, France

It took a socialist president (Mitterand) to first indulge the nationalization & other electoral promises (1981-83), then do a U-turn and modernize the French economy (strong Franc policy, smart debt management, etc.).
In the same way, it will take a new "socialist" president (a left-of-center social-democrat, actually) to appease moods, curtail rioting youth and nip violence in the bud, and bring economic partners (employers, trade union, and civil servants) to confront the reality of France's economic imbalances, and for example extend working life if not the working week. The result won't be what Matthew wishes for : rather than hitting the buffers, France could pull back from the brink faster than expected.

Patrick, Paris,

Matthew has written an interesting and thought provoking piece as always, but its begs the question about the role of leadership. Yes, the UK was ready for change in 1979, but it took the courage, vision and leadership of Thatcher to push it through against ferocious opposition. Could not Sarkozy do the same for France? Also, I despair at the thought of Nu Labour remaining in what passes for Government after the next election, especially in alliance with the Mingers. Bring on Cameron and the Tories - we must hope that he also is made of the right stuff!

Richard Marriott, Kidderminster, England

Dear Mr Parris,

the solution to the French economic problems might be simpler! They will find their way through a useful comprimise between their actual economic model and a free market model like yours. All in all, some aspects of their social and economic model are working.In some kind of way, Germany is making it successfully. Why not France?

An economic revolution like that occured in your country with Mrs Thatcher is better suited for Italy but it's a mere utopia to make it with people like Prodi, Berlusconi and their company!!
Best regards.

Fabrizio Farnedi, Rome, Italy

In the meantime - until France 'sees the light' - she has a powerful influence on all the countries locked into the European Union. Her policies affect us all - not least through the warped Common Agricultural Policy which she refuses to accept must change for the common good of all members because it was originally designed to protect her farming community.

Donna Walker, Effingham, UK

Dear Alex,
You seem yourself to be stuck in a cultural box... Why are you convinced that liberalism is the ONLY solution for France's economic problems?
And you clearly did not have a precise look at Segolene Royal's programm. She is anything but a representative of an "old leftist" socialism, as well indicated by the exasperation of some "leftists" of the Socialist Party at her propositions.

Christine, Paris,

I have always had a soft spot for your comments, Matthew even though on occasion I have yearned to take you to task. However this latest missive, no doubt dreamed up in your safe bed in England is no more than soft air, probably second hand at that.
I live in Languedoc and have had intimate conversations with many French people, from various backgrounds over the past few weeks. All French pêople I have spoken to conceal their voting intentions. No truth is revealed before or after their vote has been cast.. One thing is certain. All change in France comes through revolution, violent sometimes. So whoever wins will bring in change. Sarko is by far the best organised, informed, motivated candidate. Sego lacks international exposure, an organised team but she is persistent.
The main difference for me is the age gap. A new generation votes.

alanmMorgan, Merifons, France

"He came round for a cup of coffee a few weeks later."

Mmm.

Larry, London, UK

The real reason that France is such a different place from the UK, is that apart from 3 cities it is very largely still rural in outlook. And since France is more than twice as big as the UK,and can always feed itself, regardless of any foreign debt, there is not the national worry the UK had in the 70's.
As to those choosing a new life in France, the difference is that they take CAPITAL with them. Young French students hoping to work in the UK do not. My greatest puzzle is, how can France be so protective and remain a signature to
GATT?

David Vinter, Louth, Lincs,, UK.

If anyone thinks that Ms roayal will be anythinng other than a hard left " progressive ", I do not know what planet they are from. Ms Royal just to the right of Hugo Chavez.. Enen by French standards, she would be a disaster.

Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA Texas

I worked in England in the late 70's. The country was falling apart and there was a air of despondency and hopelessness. I worked for cash, because as an 'illegal alien' I could be laid off at the end of each project ( I was in animation), whereas a legal employee could not. I was typically paid about 2/3 of the salary that a legal person would recieve but because it was tax-free and also because I was willing to work on nights and weekends (all so highly taxed and regulated as to be unthinkable to native Britons) I made substantially more in take-home pay than my legal collegues. I married an Englishwoman and returned to Los Angeles. We didnt return for a visit until the early 90's. It was a different country.
The mood, even the physical appearance of the place was completely different.
Recently we took a long vacation in France and I felt the same oppressive hopelessness that existed in England before they came to their senses. This election is France's last chance, change or die.

Phil, Los Angeles, Calif, USA

Interesting observation.

Of course, the ability of your young friend to move to Britain for a job or to start a business is what the European Union is all about.

Resources, including human talent and ambition, can move around until they can be more productively employed, and such movements will change directions over time with changing circumstances.

Even in a Social Darwinistic society like that of the United States, you will not find every location following the same policies.

There are things for some people more important than the highest possible rate of economic growth regardless of the consequences.

If that is what you want today, a person should migrate to China.

John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada

To Mr Heybroek I would remind that the English moving here are all retired people. No English move here for the superior opportunities in business. We are becoming just a retirement colony for northern Europe. We suffer from sclerosis in business and in government. I woner what your young Brits were doing. Gap year jobs perhaps? Try to find a real job after university ith some real challenge and future. That's the test. The rose glasses of second age English people does not advance the debate.

Alex, Paris, France

Thank you M. Parris for your guidance.

Your ami, Alex, has a possibly interesting line in logic. Is he then happy to be "exploited" by anglo-saxon employers or other on-shore organisations in the UK but this should not happen to him and others in France?

The capitalist "system " bears criticism for people's behaviour within it. Of itself, in a knowledge-based economy in particular, it is neutral. Employers can be exploitative, facilitative, supportive and any mixture of these, just as can state bodies. Ask your teachers.

On historical evidence there is probably less evidence that French people would be more exploitative than English? Or is Alex telling us something different?

andre castres, London, UK

Another classic example of the British press being 50 years behind the rest of Europe. We have a common market of 450 million people who can move around as they see fit. Therefore if Alex decides to stay in the UK, and someone else decides to move to France then this is how it works (the concept of Alex being the future of his country is non-descript in a common market with free movement of labour). The archaic way of thinking in the UK is one of the reasons why labour mobility is 6 times higher in the US (which is much larger than the European continent). I've got several relatives and friends who have moved to other European countries to live and work, get with the 21st century or I'm afraid it's back to the 20th century for Europe. Adapt or fade away.

Jon Kingsbury, Southampton, UK

What a naive article and simplistic article, some points you failed to address:
France cannot support it's welfare state, it has been calculated by the French Treasury that by 2015, 100% of GDP will have to be spent on welfare, and this is without some off Royal's other bizzare strategies to lower unemployment.
The Left have received less votes then ever in a French Election, yet you miss this crucial evidence of a change in the French publics political mindset.

Unlike the left-thinking media commentators who seem to make up the BBC and SKY 'experts', you will find that the majority of French people want radical change, and they want it now.
In your piece you fail to mention that Royal has suffered from gaffe after gaffe, her husband (Hollande) seems to be the real driving force behind her attempt to become President.
As for Sarko, he will win, and what a good result for Europe that will be.
Naive, that is what I called your article and I stand by that opinion.

Joseph, Maastricht, The Netherlands

I live in France and all I can say is that your analysis (sadly) is spot on.

France is too affluent (for now) to accept the radical changes needed to rejuvenate and relaunch the country into the world of the 21st century. There will come a time when it's ready to change....but not yet. Don't forget there's a strong egalitarian streak in the French. They hate the idea that their neighbour might make more money than them! Not so very different from the Brits in the pre-Thatcher years. Let's not forget how difficult it was (and still is) for Britons to change their attitudes towards state protection, trade unions and nationalised industries. We tend to crow and chuckle now about how France should do as Britain, but we also have our sacred cows! Look at the NHS. Need I say more!

Gordon Cardigan, Bougival, France

Fantastic artical, and spot on regarding the French disease, any one advocating going back to the bad old days before Margaret Thacher must be mad or totally lazy.

D case, Newquay,

As a Yank, I have been living in France for over 12 years and I have never before seen such a powerful movement for real change.
Don't focus too much on students: they are more leftist than the general population, but they also do not vote.
A journalist would gain better insight into current French thinking if they were to interview some of the local shopkeepers, hairdressers, industrial entrepreneurs or independent workers. These strata represent nearly 40% of the population and they are ANGRY at the socialist state, and are the base of support for Nicolas Sarkozy.
Segolene Royal, however, is the most underestimated politician of our era. She has grown in stature in the course of the long campaign (including that for the Socialist nomination), as noted by the leading Le Monde editorial yesterday.
This is truly a fascinating election. I, for one, am stilling betting on Sarkozy.

Victor Val Dere, Paris, France

Thatcher most clearly introduced the age of the wordsmith. Remember her words from St Francis? What relevance did they have to her subsequent performance? Then there was her phrase, the lady’s not for turning. Hardly consistent with the hire and fire perspective you have endeavoured to portray. What is all this bullshit about Thatcherism? The answer has to be separating the account from the reality. After all, what was Thatcherism supposed to be at the time it took place. As I understood, it was turning Britain into a dynamic entrepreneurial economy. As far as I can see - and I have admittedly been a bystander - it has become a service economy, with hugely disproportionate payouts to a few key City personnel, and a lottery attitude whose most visible expression is the Dome and supercasinos. Big deal! I think the French would be well-advised to stick to what they have done successfully to date and avoid the dreamtime.

Henry Percy, London, UK

I'm afraid you may be correct; the French may not have hit rock bottom yet. Let's hope you're not right, though, since a Royal victory will mean another five years of drift. There will be hundreds of thousands more victims.

If Sarkozy wins, yes, there will be riots, but in the aftermath, as the embers cool, he might have a chance to begin reforms.

Tim Smith, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Excellent article, which, however, does not take the point it makes to its last consequences, namely: a Mme Royal's France would be useful for the rest of Europe as it would remind where immobilism and anachronistic socialism can lead to. Only after having touched the bottom will the French people be willing to take the road of economic and social modernization.

Fabio Fiallo, Nyon, Switzerland

An excellent analysis and sadly, one that I see as being all too true.
Something like 23 percent of the work force here are civil servants which means they can basically only be sacked if they receive a custodial sentence. A 35 hour working week, index linked salary, 8-10 weeks paid holiday a year... When you see others can get that, then naturally, you want it too.
This is the crux of the problem. People in work can't be sacked and the unemployed can't get work. Unemployment in some areas and for some ethnic groups is as high as 80 percent. The young don't get hired because they can't be fired and if you lose your job over 50 then just don't bother to look. Yes, Brits can get work- I'm one and have had continuous employment here for 15 years- but I don't have a 93 postcode and my name isn't Ibrahim.
France is still spending the money it earned in the glorious past, getting poorer every day but still not yet broke. It desperately needs to free the labour market, move more out of low-skilled production to high-skilled services like the rest of the West, streamline the impenetrable labour and tax laws and to provide work for the extremely well educated, wasted talent of the young and old, but trying to get 23 percent of the population to give up their cosy security blanket of protection, is going to be virtually impossible as we've seen time and time again.

Ian, Paris, France

Twenty five percent unemployment amongst French young people gives the lie to R. Heybroeks comment that it 'Can't be that hard to find work then.'

Brits move to France for the same reason they move to any retirement property, namely to while away their declining years in a quaint sleepy tranquility.

This is a pleasent prospect for older people like me but doesn't help the cause of the young who must make their way in a competative global economy.

Matthew's right - change in France is a convulsive affair and the present chronic malaise can linger on for decades yet.

martin, nottingham, notts

Nice try Matthew but no go! Sarkozy will win the second round because France believes he is better to deal with its two main current obsessions: immigration and EU (non-)expansion.The French economy is chugging along nicely and no other EU country is likely to challenge its current monopolistic acquisition of EU funds nor its bulging public sector. Even its so-called intellectuals have turned right and it continues to attract more tourists than any other country in the world, including the USA. While the outcome of next week's second round is very predictable I'm looking forward to the first confrontation between Gordon Brown and Sarkozy. Oh to be a fly on the wall at that meeting! Meanwhile, French corporatism is set to continue to infect European decision-making, and particularly my adopted country Greece, which has suffered so much from its exiled politicians during the hunta years (1967-74) experiencing the French social model. The French neo-coms - left and right - will live on.

Dr David Green, Athens, Greece

Deliciously cynical, Matthew. But the exceptionally high turnout may indicate that France is ready.

The assumption that Britain has made the change, is amusing. Gordon Brown has insistently limited the chance of most people to acquire income-producing assets. Assets are still concentrated out of the hands of individuals.

You need an individualised social security account, built up with tax free employer and employee contributions, forming part of the individual's estate on death. Instead you have a Marxist 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his need' arrangement, with state confiscation of individual earnings and provision of security on a mass basis. Your state pension pot is not inherited. You can't acquire individual assets. Savings interest is highly taxed, so no benefiting from compound interest effects.

Asset-owning individuals are the core of a decent society. British society, like French, is against individual asset building. A basic mistake.

Mike Evans, Midsomer Norton, UK

To Mr. Parris hello,
Your article is quite fiery! Even though I agree with your general theme which is for France to save itself from its half century economic protectionism , Your suggestion to rope Bush in 2004 & for La Dame to . win the Elysee Palace now ,are too harsh & unfair. I don`r recall much about your Iron lady governance. But from what I read & studied later on, her iron will & perseverence saved your lovely kingdom. I think that Francois Sarkozy ( if only he manages to stand firm & above all win a large plurality) is the the man of the hour, a president that France needs & eventually will come to terms with him in the long run. It`s my fervent hope because I am a francophile & francophone. But also American to the core.

r.carlena n., lake forest , us.a. illinois

As R Heybroek says, France is a great place to retire to when you've made your money in the real world,

ManchesterO, Manchester,

Good article Mathew. However I feel the Alex's of France don't try that hard to find work, add the laws on minimum wage, social security, lazyness & the lack of entrepeneurial spirit here, you soon see why the unemployment figures are so high.
Gone are the old days when one could find , " a little man " to be a helper , say in the garden, or an odd job man. [ Sorry if this sounds sexisit but is just a demonstration.]
I have wanted some help on my property, not on a full employed scale but occasional jobs cleaning windows is a good example .
Yes ,you can find some to do this kind of stuff , [ not easy ] but it will always be individual companies, the experts. There's plenty of opening for a good all rounder.
Your description of a Sarko run France, is a high probabilty, it will be hell , if not full revolution , cars continue to be burnt in France, just fewer hit the news headlines.
Fire is the Frenchmans weapon of choice, the Pompier's should be on standby,they going to be busy !

Maggie Millington, Brittany, France

Mr Parris, I agree with your analysis, but not your conclusion. I certainly agree that France is not ready for reform yet. A lot of people (especially the large sector cushioned by very cosy state protection) are not sufficiently discomforted to demand change. But I also think that, when the discomfort does begin to span the voting spectrum, only the traditional Left will be able to make the dismantling of Leftist protectionism palatable to the bulk of the people - as was the case in Australia, New Zealand and Germany. So that M. Sarkozy needs to win now and then to fail, possibly spectacularly, thus paving the way some years hence for the Socialists to bite the bullet and fight the necessary fight. It will be a tragedy for Sarkozy, but not without some compensation in the way of glamorous drama! Either way, I think we are still at least 5 years, maybe 10, away from France's '1979 moment'.

Kanga, London,

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing once said that 'only socialists can demonstrate that socialism couldn't work'.
That demonstration has been given in various countries throughout the world and even in France.
Unfortunately, in this country, there are still too many people who won't admit it and who cling to ideas of the good old days and ignore the world around.
Time has come to change and adapt, though.
May N. Sarkosy win and put people back to work !

Philippe LESELLIER, SAINT-PIERRE, FRANCE (Reunion Isl.)

Having had an opportunity to view the fruits of Thatcherism - increasing disparity of wealth, trashed pension plans, the collapse of manufacturing, second-rate transport, health and quality of life, especially for children - and not forgetting the longest working week in Western Europe - perhaps the French know something you don't?

Interesting how many people from the British utopia are moving to France to find a saner way of life. The French housing market has never had it so good. After all, you can get a small chateau near the Loire for what you'd pay for a two-car garage in Kensington.

I met a few young Brits working in France last month, by the way. Funny that. Can't be that hard to find work, then.

R. Heybroek, Horley, UK

It has clearly not occurred to young Alex that
" exploitation " of employers by workers is every bit as bad as the reverse. What is this " job security " that the French are on about? There is never no risk of losing your job and the best job security you can have is a better than even chance of finding a new job if you lose the one you've got. And anyway who said security is a sacred right? Why, in France especially, should it be easier to get rid of a friend or spouse than an employee?
Answers, Alex, please.

James , Canberra, Australia.