Most French believe country is ‘bankrupt’

WASHINGTON - Agence France-Presse

French Labor Minister Michel Sapin.

Two thirds of French people agree with their labor minister’s polemic claim that the country is a totally bankrupt state, according to a poll reported by daily Telegraph on Jan. 31.

“There is a state but it is a totally bankrupt state. That is why we had to put a deficit reduction plan in place, and nothing should make us turn away from that objective,” said Labor Minister Michel Sapin in a radio interview this week.

The comment is considered to be a reaction to President Hollande’s attempts to improve the French economy after pledging to reduce the country’s deficit by cutting spending by 60 billion euros over the next five years and increasing taxes by 20 billion euros, the report said.

However, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said Sapin’s comments were inappropriate, adding that France was a solvent and credible country starting to recover.

According to a CSA poll for BFM TV, 63 percent of French agree that “in France, the state is bankrupt,” with 45 percent saying the claim was “more or less justified” and 17 percent feeling it was “totally justified.”