French Austerity measures

mystic_trev

Whilst other European Countries are tightening their belts, we seem to hear very little from our French neighbours? All I could find is this.

Mr. Sarkozy’s Council of Ministers includes a plan to speed up raising the minimum retirement age to 62, from 60. The change would come in 2017, instead of 2018.

They're also going to levy VAT on Restaurant bills, big deal!

Perhaps they're hoping we're going to bail them out?!

ILW

mystic_trev wrote: »

Whilst other European Countries are tightening their belts, we seem to hear very little from our French neighbours? All I could find is this.




They're also going to levy VAT on Restaurant bills, big deal!

Perhaps they're hoping we're going to bail them out?!

We probably will, but at least Cameron is beginning to make the right noises.

Masomnia

Election next year

RenovationMan

If we do have a more financially integrated Europe, I wonder what retirement age they will all agree on. I know that the Greeks seem to want to pack it in at about 50 and the Brits all want to work on until 80, so perhaps we'll all get to retire when we reach 65. Seems a sensible sort of age.

Generali

mystic_trev wrote: »

Whilst other European Countries are tightening their belts, we seem to hear very little from our French neighbours? All I could find is this.




They're also going to levy VAT on Restaurant bills, big deal!

Perhaps they're hoping we're going to bail them out?!

TVA has always been payable on restaurant bills at almost 20% from memory. Take away used to be TVA free so maybe it's that you're thinking of. Unless things changed in the last couple of years or so.

Mallotum_X

Whatever they do it will no doubt be all our fault.

Wookster

The French are perhaps the least likely to be able to push through austerity measures of all countries in the EU other than Greece.

They are in trouble and with Sarko about to get booted and a new bunch of socialists about to enter government... it will only get worse.

Rochdale_Pioneers

RenovationMan wrote: »

If we do have a more financially integrated Europe, I wonder what retirement age they will all agree on. I know that the Greeks seem to want to pack it in at about 50 and the Brits all want to work on until 80, so perhaps we'll all get to retire when we reach 65. Seems a sensible sort of age.

Surely in the UK the people who still can retire at 55 are the people who are telling the rest of us to work until we're 80?

martyn4764

Generali wrote: »

TVA has always been payable on restaurant bills at almost 20% from memory.

I think it was at the usual 19.6% until, from memory, three or so years ago, when it was reduced to 5.5% to encourage trade.

The same reduction was applied to renovation works, which are about to go up to 7%; I'm not sure whether the new restaurant rate is 7% or 19.6%.

MacMickster

Mallotum_X wrote: »

Whatever they do it will no doubt be all our fault.

I will comment on behalf of Monsieur Sarkozy as he is apparently too busy with his own personal austerity measures (trying to stop Carla buying another pair of shoes).

"Austerity? (Gallic shrug) When the European financial transaction tax is implemented and distributed amongst all nations who have a capital city called Paree and an Eiffel tower, then there will be no need for any of this austerity. We French will eat cake. The British are blind to this and will not act in the French national interest. They are not good Europeans, but I am convinced that they will soon see the error of their ways (another Gallic shrug)"

ILW

Wookster wrote: »

The French are perhaps the least likely to be able to push through austerity measures of all countries in the EU other than Greece.

They are in trouble and with Sarko about to get booted and a new bunch of socialists about to enter government... it will only get worse.

Are these governments really so weak?

Or is it just a matter of knowing that the Germans will end up paying their bills for them in the end?