"It’s certainly bizarre. For a while now, experts and researchers have been giving us the bad news, each bit worse than the last, about the crisis countries of southern Europe. And, throughout, the talk has been of “core Europe,” held by the “Franco-German motor” that must under no circumstances be allowed to stammer.
But now, in the face of France’s increasing lack of competitiveness and horrendous public debt (currently at 90% of GDP), a question arises: are we dealing with a communication disaster here, naive blindness all around – or is this perhaps one last Pyrrhic victory for that supremely French art of smoke and mirrors?
How much taxpayer money has been wasted – also in Germany – with ridiculous conferences and research projects geared to furthering post-World War II “Franco-German reconciliation!”
The reconciliation became a reality long ago, and the fact is that neither country gives much of a damn about the other. No need for conferences to establish that, and well enough could be left alone if it weren’t for the fact that France, Germany’s neighbor, is on a course to becoming the next crisis country.
So, once again: why wasn’t anybody paying closer attention? An unintentional and indirect explanation was delivered two weeks ago by the former CEO of aerospace group EADS, Louis Gallois, in his damning diagnosis of the French economy and call for incisive reforms. A "competitiveness shock" was needed, said Gallois who forged his own business career on the back of lucrative government contracts..."
at http://www.worldcrunch.com/business-finance/rotten-at-europe-039-s-quot-core-quot-a-pitiless-german-takedown-of-modern-france/france-germany-economy-die-welt/c2s10211/#.UKz2COOe_DN#ixzz2CtNNWzHX
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