http://media.www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2005/11/10/Opinions/Frances.Problems.Stem.From.Socialist.Governments.R efusal.To.Recognize.All-1052942.shtml?sourcedomain=www.bcheights.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com
A brief quote from the article linked above:
Socialism is well entrenched in France. Dubbed the "French social model" by its admirers, France has generous pensions, unemployment benefits, protectionist trade policies, and rigid hiring and firing laws. Government enforced 35-hour work weeks, two-hour lunch breaks, and nearly half of GDP devoted to welfare programs characterize this "social model." The result of its these policies is a stratified society in which a large minority is shut out from the job market and one in which minimal economic growth occurs.
There is much more out there for anyone who cares to look.