Unedited television script

Le Monde is covering the release of the Stiglitz Commission’s report yesterday. This is not to be confused with another Stiglitz Commission set up by the UN to review the workings of the financial system. The French Stiglitz Commission, if it can be called that, is on measuring economic performance and social progress. Nicolas Sarkozy called for the creation of this Commission last year. The idea is to develop new instruments to measure the wealth of nations with more weight being given to the wellbeing of the population. The GDP as a measure of a country’s success or wellbeing is clearly faulty. For instance, a natural catastrophe generally increases the GDP – due the reconstruction effort it engenders. As for the cost of the catastrophe itself, it’s not taken into account.

Joseph Stiglitz is the guest managing editor of Libération today. He is the most cited economist in the world according to Newsweek. He made his name through denouncing the World Bank’s policies in the developing world, having worked as the organisation’s chief economist. He is a prominent critic of neo-liberalism and laissez-faire capitalism. Stiglitz is critical of the approach classical economics takes to happiness. For instance, according to the economic standard, you should be happier when you’re unemployed because you have more free time. In fact, unemployment is depressing. Sociologically, this is already known to be the case. Therefore, it’s just a question of integrating this knowledge into public policy.

The editorial says if an index such as “Gross Domestic Happiness”’ could be introduced and compared with Gross Domestic Produce, it would put pressure on politicians to act based on this. Statistics are the very foundation stone of political action.

On the same theme, there is an article in Libération on Denmark, the country cited again and again as the happiest in the world. How can this be, asks the paper? It rains every second day in Demark and life expectancy there is the lowest in Europe! The Danish epidemiologist Kaare Christensen says, tongue in cheek, “They were probably all drunk when the study was being conducted.”

In fact, Danes have lower expectations for happiness. “We don’t need orgasmic happiness like people seek elsewhere,” says Christensen. Other experts agree, Danes have lower expectations therefore are less disappointed.

However it’s true that the country is one of the most egalitarian in the world. Denmark also has an excellent social netting for those who find themselves unemployed. These and other factors clearly contribute to a happier society. But attitudes towards happiness also are a key factor. The Danish writer Carsten Jensen says “Danes who say they’re not happy have the feeling of betraying their country.”

The Catholic newspaper La Croix asks why there has been such a rise in suicides at France Telecom lately. At a first glance, it is difficult to understand seeing as work conditions across society have improved over the past number of decades. It could be explained by the fact that society as a whole has changed. It could also depend on how individual companies have changed. Working conditions at France Telecom have intensified as it is now no longer the sole public provider of phone and internet services but one of many. The effects of increased competition on working conditions are certainly a factor. There is also a possible domino effect in the case of France Telecom.

Le Figaro reports on a controversy surrounding the release of Jacques Chirac’s memoirs. The photo that was chosen for the cover shows Jacques with a cigarette. According to the paper, he was “one of the most famous smokers in French politics” until he gave up in 1988. Chirac as president enacted an ambitious plan to combat cancer thus the controversy surrounding the choice of photo. The publication has been delayed for now.