As most of you know, I grew up in Southern France. And while I don’t live in France anymore, I still try to keep up to date with what’s going on in the country. Like the current shift towards embracing entrepreneurship and economic growth, led by President Emmanuel Macron.
I’m really encouraged by what I’ve been hearing, considering that 10 to 15 years ago, the country frowned upon entrepreneurs and the economy was stagnant for a number of reasons. Talking about the past and the reasons why things were the way they were could lead to a rather long piece, so to avoid a TLDR scenario for you, I’ll just speak about a few of the good things happening in France right now.
Meaningful reforms
Without getting too much into the politics of the land, there have been talks forever about things that needed to change in order for France to move forward. But since Macron became president, he’s done more than just talking, he’s passed a bunch of new laws, launched several initiatives geared towards supporting small business owners and self-employed individuals, and pumped funds into training/retraining of professionals. I don’t know if it’s his age (he became the youngest ever French president when he won at the age of 39 in 2017) or the fact that he has a strong corporate background (previously an investment banker at Rothschild), but Macron’s moves have certainly ignited some dynamism in the French economy while trying to remove a lot of the bureaucracy that prevented growth.
A more startup-friendly environment
Although the word entrepreneur is French in origin, entrepreneurs were traditionally looked down on in France. As a result, the economic climate did not encourage entrepreneurship in the country while discouraging enterprising foreigners from setting up shop. But since last year and in line with Macron’s presidency, there’s been a significant shift towards creating an environment that is conducive to entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship.
In addition, the president has stated his intention to end the counter-productive Exit Tax, which has, over the years, driven away potential French entrepreneurs to places more attractive to startups such as Silicon Valley. Already, the French startup environment has been showing a lot of promise; just this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the French contingent was only six less than their U.S. counterparts.
Record investments
According to this Forbes article, France is now home to the world’s largest startup incubator, attracting more than 30 venture capitalist firms, over 3,000 entrepreneurs working on new ventures, and a slew of top tech companies. Facebook and Google, for instance, have set about hiring 150 artificial intelligence specialists across Paris. And if the same article is anything to go by, the future looks rather bright with a number of foreign entities collectively announcing over $12 billion in new French investments (Disney alone has put aside $2.4 billion to fund the expansion of Disneyland Paris).
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It is no surprise why the South of France attract tourists as it is one of the most renowned holiday destinations in Europe.
At Southern France you will find sun-drenched sandy beaches and blue-green seas at the French Riviera or Cote d’Azur. Here, shopping is terrific, and marinas are filled with impressive yachts and trendy people while restaurants offer fantastic and fresh seafood.
The innermost areas of the south of France feature beautiful countryside and lavender and sunflower fields. This region prides itself with numerous Roman structures, cave art and prehistoric sites particularly those found at Menhirs and Megaliths. Aside from its idyllic scenery and charming beaches, the south of France has the largest wine produce in the world, which is found in Languedoc. In fact, wine-making in this region offers the highest number of jobs.
Also, the south of France attracts many migrants who are interested in experiencing a new way of life in this country. Migrants moving to Southern France can enjoy the Mediterranean climate while residing in idyllic small towns or having a vacation in lively seaside resorts.
For migrants who are interested in buying a French property at the South of France, they need not discuss this with an avocat or solicitor, however, they have to make sure that they know and understand French language, if not, they have to seek assistance from a translator. As much as possible getting much advice is very significant.
Moreover, once a migrant becomes a resident of the region, he or she will hold a residence permit. Likewise, migrants have to pay French taxes, especially if they will stay for more than 182 days at the south of France within a calendar year.
https://www.solosophie.com/reasons-to-love-france
You have indeed seen France well and understands what it was before Macron came into office.
I once had a friend asking me if it is wise to start up a medium scale industry in France. I had to give him my candid advice that he should just look elsewhere because even the counter-productive Exit Tax alone is enough to drive the business mad. However, we are glad that things are changing fast now and we will be glad to have someone like Mylene come back home soon to perhaps, start up a studio or music related business in France.
Without any biased mind or sentiment. President Macron has done far more than any of his predecessors had ever done in the last 7 years. Now France is popping back to its feet in business and entrepreneurship. The story has changed and statistics are sunning in favor of the country again. I wish him and all present and prospective French entrepreneurs good luck in the few years that remained on his name.
When I also saw the Forbes report, I was wowed! Now, Paris can be great again.