M. Sarkozy, the new French president, was elected on a platform of changing the way French people work (to be more like the Anglo-Saxon model) and reducing bureaucracy. He has begun to implement this by proposing to raise VAT (already at 19.5%, higher than the UK), deregulate businesses and give tax breaks to higher income earners.

I wonder if French people realise that the Anglo-Saxon approach to making people work harder is to reduce the value of their income (for example by raising VAT) so that they have to work longer hours to attain the same spending power. At the same time, by de-regulating business he has made it easier for employers to get rid of awkward employees.

Work longer hours for the same salary – work harder to stand still – before you know it France will be just like the UK and USA. I bet they wished they had read the small print before signing up for a dose of Tsar Cosy!