In Hollande’s case, the rare glimpses of a comprehensive vision recall France’s successful social democracy of the 1960’s: a strong welfare state, together with abundant public investment to revive economic growth and boost employment. Hollande’s reference point seems to be the post-war idyll of his youth, a time of rapid growth, demographic recovery, scarce immigration, and scant global competition.
In other words, Hollande will try to entice other European leaders with a vision for a world that no longer exists.
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