France's Economy In Numbers Amid Protests

France's Economy In Numbers Amid Protests

Roiled by protests, France has drawn long looks from abroad at the state of its republic - both its divisive internal politics and economic decision-making.Mostly peaceful, if obstructive, school blockades by students this month morphed Saturday into wider upheaval and pockets of violence by youths over issues such as the rising cost of living -- which isn't exclusive to France.Carsten Brzeski, global chief of macro at ING bank, said France is not Greece - an allusion to the 2009 financial crisis that jolted the European Union. But France's inability to meet its spending and growth targets, as well as cost-cutting targets, is at the core of its economic woes.Here's a breakdown of France's key economic indicators and tax burdens as compared with other European Union countries, as well as policy decisions that may have contributed to stagnation and unrest.119%France's public debt as a percentage of gross domestic product has ballooned over the nearly decade-long tenure of President Emmanuel Macron, emerging as a defining issue ahead of the race to succeed him next spring.The public debt is enormous, says Gilbert Cette, an economics professor at Neoma Business School in Paris. France's entire economic policy is constrained by such a sizable debt level. The wiggle room for policymakers is limited: They must either cut government spending or raise taxes, which are already among the .