France

[Alexis]

The largest image in the world

This link displays a stitching of 2,346 single photos showing a very high-resolution panoramic view of the French capital: 354,159 x 75,570 pixels

You can navigate and explore this panorama up to very fine details...

[Ammianus]

The Working Poor in France

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/world ... ral&src=me

These people are the extreme edge of Europe’s working poor: a growing slice of the population that is slipping through Europe’s long-vaunted social safety net. Many, particularly the young, are trapped in low-paying or temporary jobs that are replacing permanent ones destroyed in Europe’s economic downturn.

Now, economists, European officials and social watchdog groups are warning that the situation is set to worsen. As European governments respond to the crisis by pushing for deep spending cuts to close budget gaps and greater flexibility in their work forces, “the population of working poor will explode,” said Jean-Paul Fitoussi, an economics professor at L’Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris.

To most Europeans, and especially the French, it seems this should not be happening. With generous minimum wage laws and the world’s strongest welfare systems, Europeans are accustomed to thinking they are more protected from a phenomenon they associate with the United States and other laissez-faire economies.

But the European welfare state, designed to ensure that those without jobs are provided with a basic income, access to health care and subsidized housing, is proving ill-prepared to deal with the steady increase in working people who do not make enough to get by.

The trend is most alarming in hard-hit countries like Greece and Spain, but it is rising even in more prosperous nations like France and Germany.

“France is a rich country,” Mr. Fitoussi said. “But the working poor are living in the same condition as in the 19th century. They can’t pay for heating, they can’t pay for their children’s clothes, they are sometimes living five people in a nine-square-meter apartment — here in France!” he exclaimed, speaking of an apartment of about 100 square feet.

In 2010, the latest year for which data were available, 8.2 percent of workers in the 17 European Union countries that use the euro were living under the region’s average poverty threshold of 10,240 euros, or about $13,500, a year for single adult workers, up from 7.3 percent in 2006, according to Eurostat. The situation is nearly twice as bad in Spain and Greece.

While direct comparisons are difficult because of different standards, the Labor Department estimated that 7 percent of single adult workers in the United States earned less than the poverty threshold in 2009 of $10,830 in 2009, up from 5.1 percent in 2006.

France fares better than most European countries, at 6.6 percent, but perhaps nowhere is the phenomenon more startling. While the country seems to exude prosperity, the number of working poor is up from 6.1 percent in 2006, and experts predict it will grow.
In France, half the nation’s workers earn less than $25,000.
The median monthly paycheck is $2,199, 26 percent above the average for the entire European Union. But the high cost of living and the difficulty many people face securing affordable housing (home prices have surged 110 percent in the last decade, and most rentals require large advance deposits), leaves a growing number out in the cold.

Any comments, Alexis? Transitory happening due to the recession, or something much more insidious and deeply rooted?

[Alexis]

The Working Poor in France

Any comments, Alexis? Transitory happening due to the recession, or something much more insidious and deeply rooted?

I think it's mainly due to the recession / the crisis that started circa 2007. But to me that means it is not transitory.

Not entering in what would be a different discussion, but my thinking that the crisis we have entered will be long and nasty doesn't give me an optimistic outlook on future evolution of this situation. France has not -yet ?- been struck to the extent Greece, Portugal, Spain, even America have been, but the future looks bleak for us too.

Similarities in trials however do not necessarily lead to similarities in -political and economic- outcomes. Every nation reacts a different way. French history has more revolutions / upheavals than history of most other countries. Without imagining necessarily something as dramatic, I think that within the next years we will be less tolerant than many other peoples of political-financial elites playing the crisis as an opportunity to increase their power.

[monster_gardener]

The Working Poor in France

Any comments, Alexis? Transitory happening due to the recession, or something much more insidious and deeply rooted?

I think it's mainly due to the recession / the crisis that started circa 2007. But to me that means it is not transitory.

Not entering in what would be a different discussion, but my thinking that the crisis we have entered will be long and nasty doesn't give me an optimistic outlook on future evolution of this situation. France has not -yet ?- been struck to the extent Greece, Portugal, Spain, even America have been, but the future looks bleak for us too.

Similarities in trials however do not necessarily lead to similarities in -political and economic- outcomes. Every nation reacts a different way. French history has more revolutions / upheavals than history of most other countries. Without imagining necessarily something as dramatic, I think that within the next years we will be less tolerant than many other peoples of political-financial elites playing the crisis as an opportunity to increase their power.

Thank you Very Much for your post, Alexis.

My best wishes to France and the French in keeping their Bankster-Pols on a shorter leash that we/uz are doing of late......

FWIW AIUI I like the way the Icelanders told the foreign banks to take a hike when the banks wanted them to nationalize the debt of private banks like the craven Irish politicians did.....

Have heard rumors that the Euro Banksters are still trying to get the Icelanders to cave........ Hope they don't..........

[Ammianus]

The Working Poor in France

Any comments, Alexis? Transitory happening due to the recession, or something much more insidious and deeply rooted?

I think it's mainly due to the recession / the crisis that started circa 2007. But to me that means it is not transitory.

Not entering in what would be a different discussion, but my thinking that the crisis we have entered will be long and nasty doesn't give me an optimistic outlook on future evolution of this situation. France has not -yet ?- been struck to the extent Greece, Portugal, Spain, even America have been, but the future looks bleak for us too.

Similarities in trials however do not necessarily lead to similarities in -political and economic- outcomes. Every nation reacts a different way. French history has more revolutions / upheavals than history of most other countries. Without imagining necessarily something as dramatic, I think that within the next years we will be less tolerant than many other peoples of political-financial elites playing the crisis as an opportunity to increase their power.

Thank you for your reply Alexis. What I am wondering about is what impact French labor market regulations and the social safety net have on the current economic crisis. Do they make things better, worse, or the same as before?

[Typhoon]

The largest image in the world

This link displays a stitching of 2,346 single photos showing a very high-resolution panoramic view of the French capital: 354,159 x 75,570 pixels

You can navigate and explore this panorama up to very fine details...

Très cool.

[noddy]

The largest image in the world

This link displays a stitching of 2,346 single photos showing a very high-resolution panoramic view of the French capital: 354,159 x 75,570 pixels

You can navigate and explore this panorama up to very fine details...

Très cool.

probably should go in the photo thread.. anyway .. the most excellent open source http://panotools.sourceforge.net/ done by a generous optical maths genius gives everyone the power to do these even with low end cameras and their is an equally excellent frontend available http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ that makes it easy to drive.

[Alexis]

Mélenchon unites hard left in presidential campaign

The far-left candidate's campaign speeches are peppered with references to 1789, and calls for France to reconnect with the spirit of the Bastille.
If you believe his rhetoric, the whole of Europe is on the verge of a new popular insurrection, merely waiting for France to point the way.
"We're back - the France of revolution!" he tells a crowd of several thousand in the central French town of Vierzon.
"If Europe is a volcano - then France is the revolutionary crater!"
(...)
But this year they have pulled off a trick of which they previously seemed incapable. They have united.
Today Jean-Luc Melenchon, a former Socialist minister turned fiery people's tribune, is polling at 15% of the vote for the first round of the presidential election.
(...)
"He has been able to unite several different factions," says Pierre Haski of the left-leaning news website Rue 89.
"Not just Trotskyists and Communists, but all the new generation of young anti-capitalists who were made so angry by the financial disasters of the last few years."
(...)
According to Haski, Melenchon's real influence will make itself felt after the election, if Hollande wins.
"In June there will be parliamentary elections. Hollande needs allies, so he will have to cut deals. Melenchon may oblige Hollande to be more left-wing than he otherwise might wish."

That this rhetoric can attract 15% or more of voters I think could scarcely happen in another first-world country than France.
On the other hand, given the crisis and its consequences for the working class, it may be a harbinger of other / more powerful similar movements in other European countries.

[Alexis]

Speaking of the presidential campaign and "Only in France"... among "small" candidates on the far left, we have Nathalie Arthaud from Worker's Struggle.

That young and agreeable lady campaigns with the motto "a Communist candidate"
A way of saying: the one and only true Communist... beware of cheap imitations!



During the series of televised interviews when all of 10 presidential candidates were interviewed, each one granted the same time, one of the journalists asked her about "Dictatorship of the Proletariat". She began her answer by a denounciation of what she called a Dictatorship of Capitalism, which made me think she would back off from explicit support of the Marxist objective. But no: her tirade did end up with assertion that Dictatorship of the Proletariat is the way to go! Standard-bearer of the Red Flag, she truly is!

She makes the "hard Left" candidate Mélenchon looks positively Ron Paulian by comparison!

She will get 1% of the votes, if that. Still, no matter how far I am from being a Communist, I find it interesting and not out of place that such a candidate could take part to the presidential election. Isn't it democracy at work? Hey, what we're lacking is a Royalist candidate, to top it off!


Yes, admittedly, I would find it less funny if she was polling at 20%...

[AzariLoveIran]

758137_pic_970x641.jpg (154.09 KiB) Viewed 6383 times

[Alexis]

Dominique Strauss-Kahn could face gang rape charges after US hotel orgy

Dominique Strauss-Kahn could face gang rape charges after an escort girl said the former International Monetary Fund chief and three others held her down and forced her to have anal sex.

(...)

She said Mr Strauss-Kahn “used force” against her. “He held my hands. He pulled my hair, he hurt me,” she told judges, adding that the former French finance minister tried to sodomise her.

“I refused saying no, I don’t want to…I clearly said I didn’t want to several times, out loud,” she reportedly told the judges.

She said three of Mr Strauss-Kahn’s friends who were present did nothing to intervene. In fact, one colleague, grabbed her hands, she alleged.

Presumption of innocence applies, yes.

Still... :gaah:

[Ammianus]

http://www.france24.com/en/france/2min/ ... on-sarkozy

Congratulations, Mssr Hollande.

[Endovelico]

François Hollande wins French presidential election

One down, quite a few to go!... This may be the first day of the end of neo-liberalism in Europe!...

[AzariLoveIran]

.

Was a mistake to do that stunt with Strauss-Kahn

Sarko should have let Strauss Kahn elected Socialist candidate .. a day or two before voting date, pull that stunt with rape and other rubbish .. if so, Sarko win would be guaranteed

France entering a long long downhill .. probably for generation or two

Germany will pull out of France and let France join Spain and Portugal and others


Let's see what happens



.

[Endovelico]

The latest results on the Greek elections are as follows:

12.30pm With 50.34 percent of the vote counted, New Democracy continued to be in the lead with 20.02 percent with the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza) establishing itself in second place according to nationwide election results announced by the Greek interior ministry via Singular Logic on Sunday night.

The percentage received by each of the parties based on results so far was the following:

New Democracy 20.02
Syriza 16.06
Pasok 13.79
Independent Greeks 10.44
Communist Party of Greece 8.38
Chryssi Avgi 6.86
Democratic Left 6.00
Popular Orthodox Rally 2.88
Democratic Alliance 2.55
Ecologists Greens 2.82
Recreate Greece 1.99
Drasi 1.65
Antarsya 1.17

[Typhoon]

FT | Hollande takes French presidency

Alexis. Comments?

[Simple Minded]

FT | Hollande takes French presidency

Alexis. Comments?

Vive La France!!!!!

This paragraph in the above article struck me as........ an "indicator."

"But Mr Sarkozy, the eighth leader of a eurozone country to be replaced or swept from office in little over a year, quickly conceded defeat. “France has a new president of the republic. It is a democratic, republican choice,” he said."

Just wasn't an incumbent choice....... Social mood is in the driver's seat, not incumbent elected officials. If they were, that paragraph would not have made it into the article.

I continue to hope for change!

[Alexis]

Sarkozy suffered a surprisingly "close" defeat, with over 48% of votes on his name during the second round: one year ago opinion polls gave him eliminated as soon as the first round, one week before the second round he was supposed to receive no more than 45 or 46% of votes.

Legislative elections in June are the next milestone. Usually the electorate gives the new president a majority in Parliament: why refuse him the means to govern, just after having elected him?

This may be even more severe this time for the "classical" Europeist right (UMP) which supported Sarkozy: the national right (Front national) did quite well with 18% during first round for its leader Marine Le Pen, and opinion polls predict similar support for national right candidates to Parliament. According to electoral code, that would result in second round for many parliamentary seats being disputed between three candidates (Socialist, UMP and FN). That would lead either to a bloodbath for UMP candidates, or to explosion of UMP if enough of their candidates strike local alliance with FN, leading to expulsion by their party. In both cases, Le Pen hopes to emerge as the most credible opponent to Socialists. According to one opinion poll, she is already seen as the most credible single opponent to Hollande (UMP lacks an alternative leader after Sarkozy' retreat from political life)

As a result, it's quite possible that Socialists will win a "dream majority" in Parliament, which would:
- give Hollande even more levers and a stronger mandate for the policy he defended during the campaign
- increase Hollande's "will to success" by making him aware that in case of failure (if he was to be revealed by events as having deceived the French), his main opponent five years from now may quite probably be Marine Le Pen, instead of some classical right clone of himself

Incidentally, "will to success" if I'm not mistaken would translate in German as "Wille zur Erfolg"
Just saying...

A tale of two women, for François ?

Face up to Angela now...


...or prepare to face up to Marine?

[Alexis]

The famed "75%" tax rate will actually result in REDUCTION of tax load
(link in French)

Summary:
- Given many limitations & exemptions, the increased revenue from the famed 75% marginal tax rate will be a paltry 210 m€... only 1,800 people will be struck by this tax rate
- As a paradoxical result of this decision, a ceiling has been created for tax rate, meaning that 6,900 people will actually pay less, the State getting 667 m€ less as a consequence

The bottom line is:
- An (undeserved) reputation for France as a country with too high taxes was created / reinforced on the global scale, with all bad side effects to be expected
- At the same time, the tax load will actually be reduced by this decision! All the drawbacks of too high tax rates, without any advantage!
- During the time when those games are played, the crisis continues unabated...

[Heracleum Persicum]

The famed "75%" tax rate will actually result in REDUCTION of tax load
(link in French)

Summary:
- Given many limitations & exemptions, the increased revenue from the famed 75% marginal tax rate will be a paltry 210 m€... only 1,800 people will be struck by this tax rate
- As a paradoxical result of this decision, a ceiling has been created for tax rate, meaning that 6,900 people will actually pay less, the State getting 667 m€ less as a consequence

The bottom line is:
- An (undeserved) reputation for France as a country with too high taxes was created / reinforced on the global scale, with all bad side effects to be expected
- At the same time, the tax load will actually be reduced by this decision! All the drawbacks of too high tax rates, without any advantage!
- During the time when those games are played, the crisis continues unabated..

.

Hollande was elected to reform French "welfare state" .. tax hikes on rich just gimmick to make general public accept hard choices, cutback in public expenditure and service, welfare cost, healthcare cost, retirement and subsidies .. the real rich in France, in agriculture, industry and and, probably will pay less tax and get even goodies to hire more


.

[Torchwood]

The famed "75%" tax rate will actually result in REDUCTION of tax load
(link in French)

Summary:
- Given many limitations & exemptions, the increased revenue from the famed 75% marginal tax rate will be a paltry 210 m€... only 1,800 people will be struck by this tax rate
- As a paradoxical result of this decision, a ceiling has been created for tax rate, meaning that 6,900 people will actually pay less, the State getting 667 m€ less as a consequence

The bottom line is:
- An (undeserved) reputation for France as a country with too high taxes was created / reinforced on the global scale, with all bad side effects to be expected
- At the same time, the tax load will actually be reduced by this decision! All the drawbacks of too high tax rates, without any advantage!
- During the time when those games are played, the crisis continues unabated...

The French like their Presidents to have gravitas as well as competence, and my does Sarko (who had neither) look good on both counts compared to le petit François.

This merely accelerates the shift of the EU ruling axis from Paris-Bonn to (oh the historical irony) Berlin-Warsaw. France gets to join the Club Med also rans.

Meanwhile the South Kensington area of London gets renamed 21st arrondisement by the immigrants, and Frog Alley by the local cabbies.

[monster_gardener]

The famed "75%" tax rate will actually result in REDUCTION of tax load
(link in French)

Summary:
- Given many limitations & exemptions, the increased revenue from the famed 75% marginal tax rate will be a paltry 210 m€... only 1,800 people will be struck by this tax rate
- As a paradoxical result of this decision, a ceiling has been created for tax rate, meaning that 6,900 people will actually pay less, the State getting 667 m€ less as a consequence

The bottom line is:
- An (undeserved) reputation for France as a country with too high taxes was created / reinforced on the global scale, with all bad side effects to be expected
- At the same time, the tax load will actually be reduced by this decision! All the drawbacks of too high tax rates, without any advantage!
- During the time when those games are played, the crisis continues unabated...

The French like their Presidents to have gravitas as well as competence, and my does Sarko (who had neither) look good on both counts compared to le petit François.

This merely accelerates the shift of the EU ruling axis from Paris-Bonn to (oh the historical irony) Berlin-Warsaw. France gets to join the Club Med also rans.

Meanwhile the South Kensington area of London gets renamed 21st arrondisement by the immigrants, and Frog Alley by the local cabbies.

Thank You Very Much for your post, Torchwood.

Meanwhile the South Kensington area of London gets renamed 21st arrondisement by the immigrants, and Frog Alley by the local cabbies.

So is this the updated Huguenot Emigration to England done over again?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huguenot#England

and Frog Alley by the local cabbies.

Now that I think about it, England and Ireland could be considered Lily Pads in the Atlantic Ocean.

Iceland too........

[Alexis]

The French like their Presidents to have gravitas as well as competence, and my does Sarko (who had neither) look good on both counts compared to le petit François.

This merely accelerates the shift of the EU ruling axis from Paris-Bonn to (oh the historical irony) Berlin-Warsaw. France gets to join the Club Med also rans.

Meanwhile the South Kensington area of London gets renamed 21st arrondisement by the immigrants, and Frog Alley by the local cabbies.

Hollande in deep is just as intellectually enslaved to the Euro Project and unfit for Presidency as Sarkozy was.

There is a strong possibility that he be even worse on results, since the global crisis will get even worse in the next 5 years than it was during the 5 previous ones.

Then there is a slim possibility that facing the most severe consequences of the Euro experiment and parasitism of the financial sector, he will raise above himself and decide for the obvious alternative policy of exiting Euro, privatizing private losses and raising eco-taxes on imports. One cannot reasonably bet on such decision from him, but one cannot exclude it either, so dire will the European and global situation become within the next few years.

As for a "Berlin-Warsaw Axis", that is a non-starter because Germany and Poland do not have voting rights enough between them. If Paris seriously departed from Berlin (which is far from done as of yet) and joined Roma and Madrid, the resulting Trio would lead Europe. In practice, Germany would be forced to choose to keep the cake of the Euro and pay for it, or to leave it by recreating the Mark.

We're far from being there yet. But the potential of such a dynamic is clearly creating worries at the Chancellery in Berlin.

[Endovelico]

As for a "Berlin-Warsaw Axis", that is a non-starter because Germany and Poland do not have voting rights enough between them. If Paris seriously departed from Berlin (which is far from done as of yet) and joined Roma and Madrid, the resulting Trio would lead Europe. In practice, Germany would be forced to choose to keep the cake of the Euro and pay for it, or to leave it by recreating the Mark.

We're far from being there yet. But the potential of such a dynamic is clearly creating worries at the Chancellery in Berlin.

I have unfortunately come to the conclusion that it may take far too long before northern European countries come to accept and respect southern Europeans as equals. I'm afraid southern European countries will have to go their own way, with a smaller political, economic and monetary union of their own, while keeping a free trade arrangement with the other European countries. I'm not even sure the whole of France would be welcome in such a southern European union, although Occitania would certainly be.



With Catalonia about to split from Spain, maybe it isn't a complete fantasy to think that Occitania may one day follow a similar path in relation to France.

[Alexis]

I have unfortunately come to the conclusion that it may take far too long before northern European countries come to accept and respect southern Europeans as equals. I'm afraid southern European countries will have to go their own way, with a smaller political, economic and monetary union of their own, while keeping a free trade arrangement with the other European countries.

I don't think that differences between North and South (Mediterranean) Europe are the only way to look at the present situation, even less to look at Europe's varsity and wealth of different national traditions.

A "South-only" union would have its problems, just as this "European" union has problems, and a "North-only" would have its problems too.

Maybe it's specially fit for a Frenchman to not know exactly whether he's from North or from South... France is from both actually, and in my opinion we are lucky in that

With Catalonia about to split from Spain, maybe it isn't a complete fantasy to think that Occitania may one day follow a similar path in relation to France.

Regarding secessionist movements, independentists from Alsace, French Basque country, Brittany would each have trouble filling up a cafe room if they met together.
Occitanian independentists are... well, even less numerous

So I wouldn't hold my breath.