Article

2005-03-27 Europe

Bad news for EU vote as French prices outpace pay

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Posted by too true 2005-03-27 12:08:51 PM|| || Front Page|| [10 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 excluding tobacco.

The failure of salaries to keep pace with the cost of everyday staples

What? Tobac not a staple anymore?

Posted by Shipman 2005-03-27 1:55:25 PM|| 2005-03-27 1:55:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 French voters were given more cause to be disgruntled with their government on Friday when it emerged that salaries have not been rising fast enough to match price increases in shops.

Err...maybe because French worker productivity hasn't been rising either. 35 hours work weeks. Yep, that's the ticket.

Posted by Glereger Clugum6222 2005-03-27 2:01:19 PM|| 2005-03-27 2:01:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 I think the French are making tobacco runs across the border, where the tax is not nearly so high, therefore the increased price wouldn't have much of an impact of the cost of living.

So, economic reality is hitting France, despite all their lovely and highly intellectual theories? How utterly unsubtle of it!

Posted by trailing wife 2005-03-27 2:03:04 PM|| 2005-03-27 2:03:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Ze Petit Patrie, she's up a merde creek without a paddle.

Posted by gromgoru 2005-03-27 2:07:22 PM|| 2005-03-27 2:07:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Why is this viewed as bad news?

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-03-27 2:08:07 PM|| 2005-03-27 2:08:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 It isn't, for us .... heh

Posted by too true 2005-03-27 2:12:53 PM|| 2005-03-27 2:12:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 French voters were given more cause to be disgruntled with their government on Friday when it emerged that salaries have not been rising fast enough to match price increases in shops.

I expect the typical French response - go on strike, trash a McDonald's or two, etc.

Posted by Raj 2005-03-27 3:01:41 PM|| 2005-03-27 3:01:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 I have to disagree with #5 and #6. France is a pretty big market for our goods. Nowhere near as big as Canada or Mexico or Britain, but not insignificant like Nepal.

Actually, any country's economy affects ours, at least a little. I grew up in the Detroit area, where many would have cheered a Japanese Depression. The reality wasn't so nice, though.

There's no real difference between a country putting an import embargo on our goods and simply being too poor to afford any. In both cases, we lose jobs.

Posted by jackal 2005-03-27 9:10:48 PM|| [http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2005-03-27 9:10:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 I think you miss the point, jackal. This slowdown in France may cause the French to toss out the EU Constitution and effectively the current strategies in Chirac's and the EU's policies. Policies that would sell arms to Saddam even as he defied his Gulf War I obligations. Policies that would undermine the U.S. by creating a "multi-polar world". Policies like selling arms to the Chinese.

Chirac is very full of himself and has personally undermined us many times in recent years. He would precipitate WWIII for a few Euros and a chance to bash Bush. Good riddance to him, even if French workers and American workers have to suffer a little bit. Chirac's "multi-polar world" could have the whole world suffering in ways that could make an economic slowdown look like paradise.

Posted by Tom 2005-03-27 10:02:59 PM|| 2005-03-27 10:02:59 PM|| Front Page Top

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