How to run the French economy
Following my enormous success with a earlier brief comments on politics in France - I am number one in Google for the expression ‘CPE strike’, which seems a bit excessive - I thought I had better turn my eye once again to politics.
I don’t want to return to the CPE problems, since the CPE has now been withdrawn by Chirac, Villepin and Sarkozy. This was withdrawn of course because of the threat it poses to each of their election chances next year, and because French politicians always give in to pressure. No, more interestingly I will say a word about their new venture, Cyberbudget.
Cyberbudget is an internet game that is shortly going to be released by the French government to help the French people to understand the problems involved in balancing the countries books. Up to 10,000 players at once can take the role of Budget Minister and, in the face of various problems thrown at them, have to try and make sense of the finances of the country. Apparently the idea is already popular in Japan.
Now, in principle, perhaps an hour spent playing at CyberBudget will make people wiser about the problems of running the economy. Perhaps it will turn the country around, and farmers and students, instead of taking to the streets, will give impromptu lectures on the disadvantages of the Common Agricultural Policy, and the need to raise the state retirement age. Perhaps the patients queing for medicines at the doctors - France currently distributes about five times more medication per visit to a doctor that the UK - will say no. They don’t want or need to take so many medicines.
But frankly I doubt it. What France needs is not Cyberbudget, what it needs is politicians who are able to state clearly what the problems of the French economy are, and to explain to French ‘man in the street’ why they need to be resolved. And then to take the steps necessary to resolve them, popular or not.
As France escalates towards financial ruin and ever higher youth unemployment, a computer game is not the answer. Although it does at least demonstrate that France has embraced the internet age with some enthusiasm, which could be a good sign for the future.
Oh yes, I should just tell you what happened to the CPE. You may remember, the CPE was a proposed law that gave young people reduced employment rights during the first two years of employment, to encourage companies to employ them with the knowledge they could get rid of them if they were no good (same as every other country, more or less). hence a real start at tackling youth unemployment.
In case you don’t know - it was replaced with a system by which the government will give grants to companies that employ certain categories of young people. Estimated cost 450 million euros over the next couple of years. And we all know how successful government grants are at turning around a faltering economy. They are not. So if you are off to play Cyberbudget in a couple of weeks, might I suggest your opening move - cancel these new grants and introduce a CPE…
