Comments on: Reinventing France

by: Tim

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:36:34 +0000

A few months, even weeks ago I might have replied that your image of the French fear of success was over-blown, a simplistic cliché. Unfortunately now, reinforced by this seminar at Aspen, I have to admit there is a lot of truth in what you say - many of the “movers and shakers” from the seminar admitted as much. Disliking success is part of fear of failure, which is a big thing in France. I find that tragic because in a sense it doesn’t matter what a man like Sarkozy does to reform France, if there is an underlying suspicion about success or even doing well, the best plans will come to nothing. Especially with a president whose epithet is “bling bling”: nouveau-riche success. I’m working on a film about equal opportunities and what comes across to me is that ironically people of North African extraction, like many Jewish people, are far less afraid of failure and far more at ease with success than French people who have been here for hundreds of years. But of course most people of North African extraction in France simply cannot get the money to start a business……

by: sean

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:14:47 +0000

After reading this, I had a look at the website of “L’institut Aspen” to see if I could find out more. Unfortunately it is just awful (in contrast to the excellent Aspen Institute website and as far as I could see there was no information - no homepage, no links to speakers bios/attendees, no links to press or blog reports. Doesn’t inspire much confidence that this will be a fruitful forum for ‘Reinventing France.’

Having grown up in North America and then lived in France for a decade and now the UK for a decade, the thing I find most frustrating about France is the way the political and industrial elite panders to the popular fear and distrust of entrepreneurial success. The great irony is that France has many many potential competitive advantages for today’s global technologically enhanced world, but ruled by fear and pride is unable to harness these resources and instead staggers from year to year, clinging desperately to some (fictitious imo) glorious past where everything was better. How can “France” hope to succeed so long as “success” in France is looked upon suspiciously at best (and with contempt at worst?) The reason I find this most frustrating is that it seems so intractable - where would one start even if one had the mandate and the power to try to change this ingrained bias? I suspect the only answer is generational, but given the highly centralized and standardized education system it will be harder for change to bubble up from the “digital generation” than perhaps in some other countries. Indeed I am always shocked when I hear French high school students effectively protesting to maintain or entrench the status quo: if you are unprepared to seek out and celebrate risk and enterprise when you are 18, I suspect that by 30 or 40 there is no hope at all…Perhaps Colbert should be replaced by Bastiat in the Baccalaureate…

I sincerely hope that various efforts like the one you describe, and successes of young talented French entrepreneurs will slowly but surely chip away at the corrosiveness of the current cultural attitudes towards enterprise and that France will be able to reinvent itself with its myriad talents and resources coming to the fore.

by: Jerome a Paris

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:55:24 +0000

As the ‘past-his-sell date’ investment banker (an indeed apt description of the reaction to my words!), let me point you to a text that brings together a lot of the statistics I quote, with all the appropriate sources: No, France is not in decline and it does not need “reform”.

To be honest, I found the crowd unexpectedly diverse (a lot more women than is usual, and quite a few minority groups represented).

by: versac

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:00:21 +0000

Your review of the day is really perfect.
And words are nice. *blush*
And yes, I think it was indeed worth crossing the restaurant to introduce myself to you ! When I saw your name on the list, I found it nice to have an occasion to thank you for this blog, on which I vener let any comments, but that I read with pleasure.

I must confess how I discovered prospect, some years ago (can’t recall). I was looking for the american prospect, on google (which I quite like) and clicked on the wrong link. Ordered a magazine, bought a few ones, then, and discovered your blog later. I love to read these oreign-correspondants notes about France (you’re not so many). Il also like Jacuqeline hénard’s blog on tagesanzeitung, but my german is now quite poor…

Nice to meet you !