There are signs that a radical sense of economic reality may be creeping back into French political life.
Prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has said that he wants to relax the law enforcing a 35-hour working week so people can work longer hours if they want to.
In a blinding statement of the obvious (unless you happen to be a French politician), Raffarin said:
"Working more creates more wealth, more economic growth and more jobs. I want to enable employees who want to work more to earn more, and to allow companies to gain more dynamism, spurring them to hire again."
