https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The Covid-19 pandemic will set the French state back nearly half a trillion euros over three years in additional spending and reduced tax revenues, the government said on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210414/covid-will-cost-france-half-a-trillion-euros-in-state-aid-and-lost-revenues-says-government Wed, 14 Apr 2021 10:50:15 +0200 covid-will-cost-france-half-a-trillion-euros-in-state-aid-and-lost-revenues-says-government The International Monetary Fund on Monday warned France that its public debt is "too high for comfort", calling on the nation to tackle the issue by stepping up spending reforms. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190604/imf-urges-france-to-step-up-spending-reforms-to-rein-in-debt Tue, 04 Jun 2019 10:39:17 +0200 imf-urges-france-to-step-up-spending-reforms-to-rein-in-debt The finance ministers of Germany and France said late Saturday they were optimistic of a deal soon to move Greece’s bailout ahead, reiterating that the IMF needs to be involved. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160417/germany-and-france-optimistic-for-solution-to-greece-impasse Sun, 17 Apr 2016 12:45:08 +0200 germany-and-france-optimistic-for-solution-to-greece-impasse From midnight on Monday until the end of the year France will have to use borrowed money after spending all of the €390 billion it raised through taxes, a new survey showed on Monday https://www.thelocal.fr/20151109/france-runs-out-of-money-until-end-of-year Mon, 09 Nov 2015 16:56:00 +0100 france-runs-out-of-money-until-end-of-year Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius might have an awkward call to make to his American counterpart after his son landed in hot water after racking up $3.5million of gambling debt in Las Vegas, before writing dodgy checks to cover the losses. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151030/son-of-minister-in-trouble-for-crazy-night-in-vegas Fri, 30 Oct 2015 09:26:08 +0100 son-of-minister-in-trouble-for-crazy-night-in-vegas Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has moved forward to Saturday a planned trip to Paris that launches the new anti-austerity government's search for EU allies, his office said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150131/greek-finance-minister-to-visit-paris-saturday-official Sat, 31 Jan 2015 12:46:53 +0100 greek-finance-minister-to-visit-paris-saturday-official Ratings agency Standard and Poor's kept its 'AA' rating for France on Friday but lowered its outlook from "stable" to "negative" on fears over the country's budget situation. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141011/france-economic-outlook-drops-to-negative Sat, 11 Oct 2014 13:08:05 +0200 france-economic-outlook-drops-to-negative The depressing figures for the French economy just keep on coming. On Tuesday it was revealed that the country's public debt had passed the symbolic two trillion mark. In real numbers that's €2,000,000,000,000. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140930/frances-public-debt-passes-two-trillion-mark Tue, 30 Sep 2014 11:14:00 +0200 frances-public-debt-passes-two-trillion-mark Moody's maintained its negative rating on France on Friday but -- despite earlier reports -- did not deal the struggling economy a downgrade. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140920/moodys-keeps-france-on-negative-outlook Sat, 20 Sep 2014 12:35:00 +0200 moodys-keeps-france-on-negative-outlook A retired pastry maker from the south of France was given a nasty shock this week when French authorities threatened to take legal action against him over unpaid debt. He stands accused of owing 22 centimes to the state. A stamp in France costs 59 cents. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140901/french-bureaucrats-pursue-baker-for-22-centimes Mon, 01 Sep 2014 14:38:00 +0200 french-bureaucrats-pursue-baker-for-22-centimes The new French finance minister vowed this week that his country would stick to the tight deficit reduction targets set by Brussels and rubbished speculation that Paris were hoping to persuade the EU to give them more time. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140416/france-deficit-europe-debt-brussels Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:40:00 +0200 france-deficit-europe-debt-brussels The French government racked up more debt in 2013 than it had initially estimated, which is yet more bad new for embattled President François Hollande. France's economic health is closely watched in the Euro zone. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140331/frances-debt-climbs-above-expectations Mon, 31 Mar 2014 11:14:00 +0200 frances-debt-climbs-above-expectations Moody's held its French credit rating at Aa1 Friday but maintained a negative outlook, days after President Francois Hollande announced a batch of business-friendly measures to fire up growth. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140125/moodys-maintains-french-debt-rating Sat, 25 Jan 2014 16:54:26 +0100 moodys-maintains-french-debt-rating Deeply unpopular at home as he struggles with a stumbling economy, French President Francois Hollande headed to Spain on Wednesday seeking an ally to help avert new debt crises and to put jobs growth at the top of Europe's agenda. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131127/beleaguered-hollande-heads-to-spain-in-search-of-ally Wed, 27 Nov 2013 14:15:00 +0100 beleaguered-hollande-heads-to-spain-in-search-of-ally The price of electricity in France is set for a steep five-percent rise in August, followed by a further increase of five-percent at the same time next year, France’s new environment minister announced on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130709/french-electricity-prices-set-for-sharp-rise Tue, 09 Jul 2013 14:47:00 +0200 french-electricity-prices-set-for-sharp-rise Margaret Thatcher's death has provoked a fair amount of soul-searching in France over whether the country could do with some Thatcherite economic remedies to haul its ailing economy back to life. Here, those on the French left explain why France is better off without Thatcherism. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130417/france-values-equality-not-thatcherite-policies Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0200 france-values-equality-not-thatcherite-policies France announced a plan on Wednesday to bring its public deficit below the EU limit of 3.0 percent of GDP by 2014, one year later than expected. The project involves higher taxes, and finding savings in France's extensive social security system. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130417/france-announces-plan-to-cut-deficit-by-2014 Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:18:03 +0200 france-announces-plan-to-cut-deficit-by-2014 The European Commission singled out France on Wednesday for some harsh warnings over serious public sector debt levels that could prove the Achilles heel for the entire eurozone. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130410/french-debt-making-whole-of-europe-vulnerable Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:57:00 +0200 french-debt-making-whole-of-europe-vulnerable French central bank governor Christian Noyer said on Wednesday that France should freeze pensions, civil servant salaries and social benefits to save €40 billion by 2014 as it tries to cut a swollen public deficit and jumpstart growth. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130410/freeze-pensions-and-benefits-french-bank-chief Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0200 freeze-pensions-and-benefits-french-bank-chief After the death of Margaret Thatcher, there has been much talk in France about the impact of her economic policies on the UK. Paris based Professor of Economics, Tomasz Michalski tells The Local why France could do with its own dose of Thatcherism. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130409/why-france-could-do-with-a-dose-of-thatcherism Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:24:00 +0200 why-france-could-do-with-a-dose-of-thatcherism