France's Stimulus Projects, Unlike in U.S., Were `Shovel Ready' | New York Times:
... All told, Paris has set aside 100 million euros in stimulus funds earmarked for what the French like to call their cultural patrimony. It is a French twist on how to overcome the global downturn, spending borrowed money avidly to beautify the nation even as it also races ahead of the United States in more classic Keynesian ways: fixing potholes, upgrading railroads and pursuing other "shovel ready" projects. "America is six months behind; it has wasted a lot of time," said Patrick Devedjian, the minister in charge of the French relance, or stimulus. By the time Washington gets around to doling out most of its money, Mr. Devedjian sniffed, "the crisis could be over." Gallic pride aside, Mr. Devedjian has a point. While he plans to spend 75 percent of France's stimulus money this year, the White House is giving itself until fall 2010 to lay out that big a share of the American expenditure. And many experts predict that Washington will fall short of that goal. As it turns out, France's more centralized, state-directed economy -- so often criticized in good times for smothering entrepreneurship and holding back growth -- is proving remarkably effective at deploying funds quickly and efficiently in bad times. "All projects must start in 2009," Mr. Devedjian said. "We want rapid results." ...
"America is six months behind; it has wasted a lot of time," said Patrick Devedjian, the minister in charge of the French relance, or stimulus. By the time Washington gets around to doling out most of its money, Mr. Devedjian sniffed, "the crisis could be over."
Gallic pride aside, Mr. Devedjian has a point. While he plans to spend 75 percent of France's stimulus money this year, the White House is giving itself until fall 2010 to lay out that big a share of the American expenditure. And many experts predict that Washington will fall short of that goal.
As it turns out, France's more centralized, state-directed economy -- so often criticized in good times for smothering entrepreneurship and holding back growth -- is proving remarkably effective at deploying funds quickly and efficiently in bad times.
"All projects must start in 2009," Mr. Devedjian said. "We want rapid results." ...
France's Stimulus Projects Were `Shovel Ready' - NYTimes.com
So what about the criticism that Europe is not being as aggressive as the United States in combating the global slowdown, with only tepid stimulus packages?That's not the way the French see it."You lost time with changing a president and no decisions were made in the last three months of 2008," Mr. Devedjian jibed. "Nothing happened in January 2009, and in February, there was just a speech.""The country that is behind is the U.S.," he said, "not France."
So what about the criticism that Europe is not being as aggressive as the United States in combating the global slowdown, with only tepid stimulus packages?
That's not the way the French see it.
"You lost time with changing a president and no decisions were made in the last three months of 2008," Mr. Devedjian jibed. "Nothing happened in January 2009, and in February, there was just a speech."
"The country that is behind is the U.S.," he said, "not France."
Many of those shovel ready projects are motorway projects that had been more or less slowed by the Grenelle de l'Environement... Greenswashing is less of a priority nowadays. Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
Do you mean that these projects were slowed down due to concerns over potential environmental harm they might cause? Truth unfolds in time through a communal process.
Plan de relance de l'économie: des autoroutes en plus - Transport et infrastructures - Le Moniteur.fr
Les trois projets concernés sont l'A 63, entre Salles et Saint-Geours-de-Maremne (Landes) pour relier Bordeaux et la frontière espagnole, l'A150 entre Ecalles-Alix et Barantin (Rouen-Le Havre) et l'A355 (contournement ouest de Strasbourg). Ces trois projets autoroutiers représentent un peu plus de 800 millions d'euros de travaux, a précisé M. Fillon lors de l'inauguration à Copponex (Haute-Savoie) d'un tronçon de l'autoroute A41 (Annecy-Genève). Une annonce saluée notamment par Jean-François Roverato, le PDG d'Eiffage. "C'est une très bonne nouvelle. Cela lève les interrogations sur ces trois projets qui étaient d'actualité depuis des années mais avaient été mis en "stand-by" depuis le Grenelle de l'Environnement." Chez Vinci, on se félicite également "de cette décision qui va dans le bon sens".Contradiction En revanche, les écologistes s'inquiètent de cette priorité donnée à l'automobile tout en se refusant à y voir un coup de canif dans le Grenelle de l'environnement.
Another major measure was trying to help car sales by buying over 10 years old models above their value... Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
