Reference News Network, February 26 report: On February 4, the French newspaper "Les Échos" published an article titled "Our Decline Is Our Collective Choice", authored by Dominique Sers. The following is a compilation of the content:

Ten days ago, Antoine Fouquet published an article in the "Les Échos" column titled "The Wealth of the French Is Now Below the EU Average". This article has generated significant reaction on our website and in public opinion. Many media outlets have covered it, and this attention is not merely due to a simple resonance with current pessimism and decline rhetoric, but also because these data confirm a rather widespread feeling.

What does the data from the European Union's statistical office show? If the EU's average GDP per capita index is 100, then France's index has been below this average for the third consecutive year, dropping to 98. During this period, Germany's index also declined, but to a lesser extent, especially since its index remains as high as 116. France and Italy are now at the same level, which is a new phenomenon.

It must be acknowledged that France's ranking has fallen, and this is not a mere unfortunate accident: Germany and Nordic countries have performed relatively better than us, while we have long been stagnant due to too slow growth. Let's be honest: the most important point is that this is our own choice. Not necessarily a choice explicitly expressed, but undoubtedly a choice made subtly over time.

Firstly, for a long time, France has taken pride in having one of the highest productivities in the world. But this is false, as the youngest and oldest groups are excluded from the labor market, and the statistical scope only includes people aged 22 to 57. Now the truth has emerged: we are behind. Because today, we are suspicious of robots and artificial intelligence, just as we once feared the disappearance of gas station attendants.

Secondly, the rankings of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the International Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (IALSS) reflect our gradual decline in skill levels, which are key factors for future productivity. Why has this regression occurred? Because we have always tended to invest more in the "welfare state" (pensions, healthcare, social benefits) rather than in the "central government" (security, education). Who doesn't know this? French teachers earn less than elsewhere.

Thirdly, the French work fewer hours than people in other countries. The actual number of employed people (including youth and elderly) is also fewer than elsewhere. According to OECD data, based on the current population, the average French person works 674 hours per year. Germany is 730 hours, and the EU average is 774 hours. In other words, throughout their lives, French people have more leisure time, which is a social choice, but the cost of this choice is often ignored.

What do these three factors have in common? It is a preference for the present over the future. Can we therefore blame our government? Probably not, because this is our collective choice, a numb choice leading to decline. (Translation / Shu Meng)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7611104021314568767/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author themselves.