Olivier Blanchard writes: The French are not lazy. They just enjoy leisure more than most (no irony here) And this is perfectly fine: As productivity increases, it is perfectly reasonable to take it partly as more leisure (fewer hours per week, earlier retirement age), and only partly in income. He has follow-up points and clarifications…
Are the French lazy?
Are the French lazy?
30 Jan 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economic growth, economics of regulation, fiscal policy, labour economics, labour supply, macroeconomics Tags: France, taxation and labour supply
“Monsieur Klein” — Identity, Complicity, and Bureaucratic Terror
11 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, movies, war and peace Tags: France, Nazi Germany, The Holocaust, World War II
Alain Delon would have celebrated his 90th birthday today. Sadly, he passed away last year, leaving behind a legacy that forever shaped European cinema — and, to a certain extent, Hollywood as well. Known for his striking screen presence, enigmatic charm, and unforgettable roles, Delon stood as one of the true icons of 20th-century film. […]
“Monsieur Klein” — Identity, Complicity, and Bureaucratic Terror
French facts of the day
14 Oct 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, energy economics, environmental economics, fiscal policy, law and economics, macroeconomics, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: France
Macron’s government consistently spent more as a share of total output than any other OECD member, with the public sector accounting for over 57% of GDP in 2024. The telling trend is France’s divergence from its neighbors. When Macron took office, France’s debt-to-GDP ratio was 11 percentage points above the Eurozone average; by 2024, that gap […]
French facts of the day
Red Tape and Unintended Consequences
13 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, environmental economics, income redistribution, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, occupational regulation, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: France
I’ve written endlessly about the negative effect of high tax rates on productive behavior, as well as some quirky examples of how taxes lead to some unintended consequences. Today, let’s consider how government regulations distort behavior. We’ll start with a video from Reason about government policies that backfire. In this case, note the second example. […]
Red Tape and Unintended Consequences
French cabinet loses confidence vote
09 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, politics, Public Choice Tags: France
The National Assembly of France today voted against a confidence measure in the cabinet of Premier François Bayrou. As a result, per Art. 50 of the constitution, the premier must resign and the government is ousted. President Emmanuel Macron had appointed Bayrou last December after the previous premier, Michel Barnier, had been ousted in a […]
French cabinet loses confidence vote
BBC portrays terrorist as ‘Pro-Palestinian convict’ and ‘teacher’
29 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, law and economics, war and peace Tags: France, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, useful idiots, war against terror, West Bank
On July 25th the BBC promoted a report by its Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield: Readers of Schofield’s article – headlined “Pro-Palestinian convict freed by France after 41 years” and tagged “Israel and the Palestinians” and “Palestinian territories” despite the story having no direct connection to either of those topics – are told that: [emphasis added] […]
BBC portrays terrorist as ‘Pro-Palestinian convict’ and ‘teacher’
Woman of the day
18 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, discrimination, economic history, gender, labour economics, labour supply Tags: France, gender wage gap, sex discrimination
OTD in 1965, France changed the law to allow married women the right to work without their husbands’ permission. Yes, really. To mark the occasion, Woman of the Day is journalist Madeleine Riffaud, French Resistance, who didn’t need any man’s permission to fight for her country.… pic.twitter.com/nlp3f2GIsK — The Attagirls (@TheAttagirls) July 13, 2025
Woman of the day
Expert Assessment Warns Expansion Of Wind And Solar Energy Jeopardizing French Power Grid Stability
17 May 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming Tags: France, solar power, wind power
The French are finding out that combining nuclear power with unstable wind and sun is not a good idea and is a risk to the power grid.
Expert Assessment Warns Expansion Of Wind And Solar Energy Jeopardizing French Power Grid Stability
Spain recently had to learn a similar lesson in a most painful manner.
Democracy in danger
03 May 2025 1 Comment
in politics - USA Tags: constitutional law, France, Germany
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency on Friday designated the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, as an “extremist endeavor,” a move that lowers hurdles for the spy agency in conducting certain kinds of surveillance on the party, the second-largest in Germany’s parliament. In a statement, the intelligence agency said the designation was “due to the […]
Democracy in danger
The Trans-Saharan Railway: A Forgotten Chapter of Vichy Oppression
20 Mar 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, laws of war, war and peace Tags: France, Nazi Germany, The Holocaust, World War II
The phrase “From hero to zero” is perhaps the most fitting way to describe the trajectory of Philippe Pétain’s legacy. Once hailed as a national savior and military genius, his descent into infamy was marked by his collaboration with Nazi Germany and his betrayal of France’s republican values. Pétain: From World War I Hero to […]
The Trans-Saharan Railway: A Forgotten Chapter of Vichy Oppression
France
26 Feb 2025 Leave a comment
in economic history, International law Tags: economics of borders, France, maps
Please Santa, Just One More Present
25 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in liberalism, Marxist economics Tags: Argentina, British politics, Canada, France, Germany, regressive left
I must have been extra good this year because my prezzie list is overflowing with bounty: But there’s one present that Santa could bring me for Christmas: the complete and utter destruction of the Justin Castrudeau government in Canada – and it’s close to happening: Now, the Liberal Party is imploding in Canada. They were […]
Please Santa, Just One More Present
The no-confidence vote in France
04 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, fiscal policy, law and economics, macroeconomics Tags: France
The French National Assembly is scheduled to vote tomorrow (4 Dec.) on a vote of no confidence against the government of Premier Michel Barnier. The premier has been in office only three months, having been appointed following (with some lag) the snap election President Emmanuel Macron had called in July, and which–predictably, given the timing–did […]
The no-confidence vote in France
Will France Opt for Bernie Sanders-Style Taxation?
23 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, entrepreneurship, income redistribution, Public Choice, public economics Tags: France, regressive left, taxation and entrepreneurship, taxation and investment
Some folks on the left have a deep-seated resentment of successful investors, entrepreneurs, business owners, and other high-income people. They want to hit them with confiscatory tax rates, even if the tax is so punitive that the government doesn’t wind up with more revenue. Heck, some of them are so consumed by hate and envy […]
Will France Opt for Bernie Sanders-Style Taxation?
France Bans Muslim Hijabs from the Olympics
18 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, France, free speech, Freedom of religion, political correctness, regressive left
France’s Sports Minister, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, has announced that French Muslim athletes will be barred from wearing hijabs at the Olympics. The decision is a gross violation of the religious freedom of Muslim athletes and should be condemned throughout the world.
France Bans Muslim Hijabs from the Olympics
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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