Europe’s FDR? How France’s New President Could Save Europe

This weekend’s seismic anti-austerity votes in France and Greece — the latter for other, darker reasons — have given Europe one last, best chance to come to terms with this reality. Nothing less than the future of the half-century European Project is at stake.

Newly-elected French president François Hollande has already inspired an impressive amount of hand-wringing on the part of the commentariat. His proposal to raise the top marginal tax rate to 75 percent has drawn ire from conservatives. So too has his emphasis of growth over so-called structural reforms. More broadly, his proclaimed opposition to German-led austerity and tight money has created uncertainty about the future of the euro. It’s all been enough for The Economist to editorialize that Hollande is “a rather dangerous man.” 

Let’s hope so. If he’s not, the euro is certainly doomed.

Read more. [Image: Reuters]

1. fromstarstostarfish likes this
2. tomtastic likes this
3. friendofhagrid reblogged this from theatlantic
4. okorogariist reblogged this from theatlantic
5. jjrconnect reblogged this from spam420
6. spam420 reblogged this from theatlantic
7. jjarichardson reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

   I hope that Monsieur Hollande will dismantle the narrative of non-negotiable neoliberal austerity.

8. wizardblue reblogged this from theatlantic
9. kernerzs likes this
10. anindiscriminatecollection reblogged this from theatlantic
11. crowtendr likes this
12. sergy800 reblogged this from theatlantic
13. fartraveler likes this
14. gazealongtheopenroad likes this
15. xcrims0n reblogged this from trotskitty
16. trotskitty reblogged this from theatlantic
17. steadyblogging likes this
18. jimrehs reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    It’s nice to see that some people realize austerity measures during a recession are ass-backwards. Of course I remember...

19. alimomen likes this
20. mctumblovin likes this
21. victortsu likes this
22. whenimreallyathundacat reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    What is it with conservatives and taxes on the rich? Are they like that all over the planet?

23. petvrban likes this
24. kastely reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    Az Atlantic máris FDR-hoz hasonlítja Hollande-ot, pedig még el sem kezdte tönkretenni Európát.

25. brockenspectre likes this
26. okorogariist likes this
27. absurdlakefront likes this
28. tommby reblogged this from theatlantic and added:

    This weekend’s seismic anti-austerity votes in France and Greece — the latter for other, darker reasons — have given...

29. wordhord reblogged this from theatlantic
30. wordhord likes this
31. aberracao likes this
32. atrueaccountoftalkingtothesun reblogged this from theawkwardxenoglossophile
33. imperialscythia likes this
34. okmabelle likes this
35. zipporah likes this
36. thisisamutiny reblogged this from theatlantic
37. carnivorum reblogged this from theatlantic
38. design-related likes this
39. fennolicious likes this
40. nomoretexasgovernorsforpresident likes this
41. lostinaquariums likes this
42. suspiria-de-profundis likes this
43. seafeel likes this
44. ughwhocares likes this
45. theatlantic posted this