France’s presidential election campaign is an opportunity to discuss the real issues

It is to be hope d that France’s presidential campaign will lead to debate on the country’s real economic and social issues, beginning in each instance with a correct and not emotional analysis of the facts. The main issues are: Purchasing power (where should the effort focus, with what methods?); Inequality (income or wealth?); Deindustrialisation (what are its causes, how to reindustrialise?); Skills (what are the effects of low skills, how can they be improved?); Public finances (how can fiscal deficit reduction be reconciled with the need to increase much public spending?); Innovation and corporate modernisation ( what accounts for the low level of breakthrough innovations and corporate modernisation in France?); The energy transition (and its effects on existing capital, investment, employment and energy prices).