France’s economic miracle never came — here’s what went wrong

Jan 10, 2026 - 16:00
France’s economic miracle never came — here’s what went wrong
Look at the way the French work, and you’ll start to see why “Macronomics” fell short. When Emmanuel Macron took office in 2017, he promised a French economic renaissance. His supply-side strategy aimed to slash taxes and curb public spending to spur investment and drive down unemployment. Eight years on, however, public debt has skyrocketed while GDP growth remains sluggish. So, what happened? And is France destined to economic decline?