In the short run, one can see a fracture within the French Socialist Party (PS) in two camps : the archeo-socialists (demand policy) and socio-democrats (supply policy).The French Government will have difficulties in getting a majority since the French Communist Party (PCF) and the Left Front (Front de Gauche), a good part of the Greens and the ‘rogue deputies’(frondeurs) are going to fight against the government and might vote against some of the upcoming economic measures, notably the budget scheduled to be voted on in the fall.

France’s fate matters to Europe and the world at large. France is the world’s fifth-largest economy (and the second-largest in Europe, after Germany), so what happens in the country impacts growth for the region overall. It is critical for all of Europe for France to get its act together and its economy moving. That, however, is not happening.

The French economy has been in gradual decline for years, without any President or administration having done anything decisive about it. But now, ignoring the problems is no longer an option.

The OECD member countries have adopted a Recommendation with Principles for Transparency and Integrity in Lobbying as guidance to decision-makers on how to promote good governance in lobbying. Public officials and lobbyists share responsibility to apply the principles of good governance, in particular transparency and integrity, in order to maintain confidence in public decisions.

Priority Checklist

1. Do all stakeholders have fair and equitable access to the development and implementation of public policies?

Conflicts of interest have the potential to undermine or compromise the impartiality, credibility or trustworthiness of a GR Consultant due to the possibility of a clash between the Consultant’s self-interest and a professional interest, or their public interest, or their client’s interest. A GR Consultant must avoid situations of conflict of interest, or situations that have the appearance of conflict of interest