France

Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency, the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement progress toward an EU foreign policy.

Economical characteristics

 * Currency: Euro (ISO code: EUR,)
 * Central bank discount rate: 3% (31 December 2008)
 * Commercial banks lending rate: 8.13% (31 December 2008)
 * is part of the Eurozone 

Notable events:

 * Banking crisis: 1802, 1805-1806, 1827-1828, 1838-1839, 1848-1850, January 1864, 1867-1868, May 1871, February 1882, March 1889, February 1904, 1907, 1930-1932, 1994-1995
 * Years in inflation: 5.7% (share of years 1800-2009 with annual inflation above 20 per cent per annum)
 * Public default: 1812(external)

Statistics

 * By 2014, France’s public expenditure are expected to overtake Denmark’s to become the world’s highest: 57 per cent of GDP.
 * As of 2013, one out of four French university graduates wanted to emigrate, rising to 80 per cent or 90 per cent in the case of marketable degrees.
 * More than a quarter of the French workforce is employed by some public body: schools, hospitals, local and regional councils, the police, the civil service proper or subsidised public-service jobs.

Welfare state and poverty
In 2009, 11.2 million French persons received welfare payments, out a total population of 65.3 million. This amounted to $78 billion in payments. Moreover, these 11 million beneficiaries have families (parents, spouses, children); thus, more than 35 million people are actually benefiting directly or indirectly from welfare payments, which is more than 50 percent of the French population. Does this welfareship work?


 * The poverty rate in 1990 was 13.8 percent of the French population; in 2009, the percentage was almost unchanged at 13.5 percent.
 * The "Active Solidarity Income," symbolizes France’s welfare system: It has replaced a previous payment called the "Minimum Income for Insertion." The latter was implemented in 1989, when 370,000 people benefited. In 2009, this "income" was given to 1,697,357 people.
 * A nationwide philanthropic organization called the "Restos du Coeur" (i.e. "Restaurants of the Heart") provides meals during the winter to the very-low-income population. It was created in 1985; during the winter of 1985-86, 8.5 million meals were given. Since then, it has never stopped increasing. During the winter of 2010-11, about 109 million meals were given—a 1,282-percent jump in 25 years.