5 October 2014

Is France 'hopeless, downbeat and finished?' Andy Street (sounds like a convenient place to live) has been comparing France to England. He's the MD of the department store John Lewis, but does that make him expert?  Certainly the French economy is rubbish compared to the UK's current 3% growth, and France's unemployment is four points higher and the gap is widening. But:
In France university tuition fees only cost 188 euros a year v England's 11,461 euros p.a.!
In France unemployment benefits are 40% of your previous earnings v England's 92.19 euros p.w.!
In France childcare is 10% of family income v England's 26.6%.
In France, on average, people are thinner, they eat 3 proper meals a day and the health care is way better. Why are the French thinner?  No fast food, no snacking between meals and smaller plates! France has almost 4 times the number of Michelin starred restaurants as the UK (despite the lower obesity rates). And football? France has only waited 16 years since it last won the World Cup, whereas England?  Nearly 50 years.
So, have I answered the question?  Jury's out.