Earlier this week in Paris a seminar organised by the French bureau of Aspen Institute to discuss how to “reinvent France”. 40 potential movers and shakers invited to share their reflections on what is fast becoming France’s favourite topic. In the event, however, trying to reinvent France was about as easy as trying to reinvent the wheel – both have served admirably in the past, both are solid and well-loved creations resisting any attempt to change them. Both may have been surpassed in certain fields, but both are still necessary.

We discussed whether or not France was in decline and if so why? No surprises there: brakes on employment; too many laws, many of which don’t work; too many taboo subjects (competition, capitalism, success, failure – and anything in between); the young are penalised, there is a growing generational rift; equality of opportunity does not exist; equality tout court does not exist; too much ideology, refusal to look reality in the face; the French impossibility of working with each other.

Others said that if France is in decline, then so are many other countries, we’re not worse than the other. Oh yes we are, look at the amount of poverty in France, especially amongst those who are in work. Ah, but the world is changing faster than during the Industrial Revolution and it’s tough keeping up….

Was there was some other country’s model to copy and if so whose? The Anglo-saxon model was (of course) generally decried as insufferably inhuman. Why? Because it encourages part-time jobs, multiple jobs, badly paid jobs and insecure jobs, all of which, most agreed, are unacceptable. Well, if you look at the common denominator in that list of unacceptables, jobs, they might be quite useful in France just now. Ah yes we need jobs, but not just any job. Ah, mon ami, that is where your problem lies: you are not hungry enough!

But more interestingly the opposite of the hated Anglo-Saxon model, Colbertian state intervention, was equally unacceptable. One particularly bold man, a youngish, bullish investment banker, argued coherently with endless rapid-fire (and thus unverifiable) statistics that the old French model was still the best. But he took a battering from others present who clearly thought he was way beyond his sell-by date. The net result was that too much energy was spent dismissing other people’s ideas and far too little actively constructing something useful.

The surprises came from a woman working in the Ministry of Economics who said quite rightly that the French should look at what jobs have not been created, especially part-time jobs for students. People have not worked hard enough at where they want to go. The disappointment principally from the two veteran politicians present – a former Italian minister of the economy and Frits Bolkestein, former European Commissioner. Both trotted out tired old formulae to which nobody listened. There was a fascinating moment when the only black person who bothered to turn up (Eric Dogo, an entrepreneur. Two beurs had been invited, one came for the lunch but didn’t stay for any of the discussions, the other I didn’t see at all) talked briefly and passionately about the inequality of opportunity in French society. The fascinating part was not what he said but watching the 38 other people: all looked at their feet, watches, cell-phones, shuffled papers. Actors could not have played both “embarrassment” and “lack of concern” better. Since the two other beurs invited didn’t turn up, it’s fair to say that he was the only non-white there, there were far less than 20 women, and the great majority of the men were over 50 – and (having made a film about them last year I can tell them just by the way they sit and look round the room) perhaps a surplus of enarques. They excel at recycling well-worn ideas (some of which are well-worn because they are good) – although a few, like Elizabeth Lulin, are innovating and doing much more exciting things.

For me the highlight of the day happened during lunch. An unknown face appeared at my table and I heard him saying how much he enjoyed (or perhaps appreciated) “ton blog”. I looked over my should to see who he was talking to. When I realised he meant me I genuinely couldn’t believe it, although there were two or three editors of Les Echos around who might perhaps read Prospect. I thanked him, but was so surprised I couldn’t think of a gracious way of asking who he was. His name-badge meant something (a 16-syllable Dutch-sounding name) and I stammered out some absurd banality. Someone (the bullish anti-UK banker) said something about Versac. Versac? - now there’s a model worth emulating – one of the very best French blogs, which has already and continues to reinvent a good part of France. I assumed the man must be a guest writer on Versac, but no this was the man himself. He thinks it’s worth crossing the crowded restaurant floor to introduce himself to me?

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 24th, 2008 at 11:26 am and is filed under Political. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.