Mr. Eugenides sounded an important note of caution about Sarkozy when he was first elected. There is an unpleasant mercantilist strain to Sarko that the British right should be cautious of.
That caution is still appropriate but so far things have gone well. His choice for foreign minister is a socialist but a Christopher Hitchens-like hawk. His first 100 days priorities are inspired. Tax cuts including the near abolition of inheritance tax and an end to the 35 hour week. He's even planning on putting limits on transport sector strikes.
At the same time Sweden is abolishing its wealth and property taxes over the next two years. The two countries the left has used as its poster children for so long seem to want the economic dynamism of the Anglo-Saxon economies. Of course, there are things these countries do well, Swedish school choice and French healthcare (less socialist than ours and better quality). However, the people of France and Sweden have clearly understood that more economically liberal states provide a prosperity that an overactive state cannot match.
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1 comment:
Interesting that our titles were so similar. Yes, Sarko is indeed mercantile.
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