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In the Balance: France: Are the good times over?

21/04/2012

France: Are the good times over?

BBC World Service - In the Balance, France: Are the good times over?

France is often envied for its lifestyle, but is its social model sustainable?

France is famous for its lifestyle, but is its social model sustainable?  As the French go to the polls, Justin Rowlatt and guests discuss the big electoral issue - l'economie, stupide.

France is famous for living la vie en rose - living well.  It isn't just the country's great cuisine and enviable climate, France also has a very generous welfare state.  Justin Rowlatt and his guests, Yannick Naud who is a portfolio manager at the asset manger Glendevon King, Professor Brigitte Granville of the University of London, and  Simon Tilford, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform in London, discuss whether this model is sustainable. It's the first round of the French presidential election this weekend and the biggest issue is ... l'economie, stupide.

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