unemployment

Sophie Pedder, The Economist's Paris Bureau Chief, tells François Picard why she thinks the French are still in denial regarding their economy and the competitiveness of their companies. This denial was particularly obvious during the presidential campaign, she says, when almost all subjects were on the table - except the ones that really mattered.

It's back to school time for French lawmakers, two weeks earlier than planned. President Hollande has decided to quicken the pace of reforms as the French grow impatient and unemployment continues to rise. There are lots of new bills to debate - first and foremost to boost employment, but also on housing and Europe.

The summer is over for François Hollande, as is his political honeymoon following his election back in May. With unemployment hitting the 3 million threshold and the growing feeling this his Socialist government is moving too slowly to tackle the crisis, the president is going through his first real test. He needs to reassure the French that he is not only the anti-Nicolas Sarkozy, but also someone who can steer them through these economic hard times.