France has been run by socialists from 1981 to now, so I can squarely lay the blame for the state of affairs on the doorstop of the French super-cynical form of socialism, while it's obviously correct that the so-called socialist party has not been in power the last 5 years. Chirac has been conservative only by name since his election in 1995. He has kept in place the socialist state of affairs and done vitually nothing to liberalise the economy, even stating that liberalism is a dangerous ideology. It has indeed been embarrassing to watch a so-called conservative government do nothing for 5 years. My big question is if Sarkozy will do what's needed, free of Chirac's limitations, or if he will continue towards the economic disaster. With Sarkozy's obvious taste for power and somehow limited statements on economic conditions, I am far from convinced he's the right man. What I am convinced about is the Royal's tax and spend policy will just accelerate the decline. In the case where Sarkozy is not implementing the needed changes, an acceleration into decline might be preferrable, as a quicker bankruptcy might mean a quicker tidying up.

About starting and running a business, it is essentially beneficial for France if people do it successfully. Adapting the situation to allow them to function better should cost absolutely nothing for the state.

Allowing workers who currently can get only the occasional CDD to work on a CDI with less job protection instead of staying on the dole or RMI should also be beneficial. Except that those on CDIs would fear that their CDI also got less secure. Only in France have I seen such obsession with job security, btw. There are significant savings to be had on the social budget if unemployment got down.