The public sector in France is among the best financed in Europe. Taxes claim around 45% of all income earned in the country, but even that is not enough to finance all the government projects. The country also runs a public budget deficit of over 3% of GDP, putting the whole output of the French government around 50% of the whole economy.

With such largesse one would think that the services are quite good. Furthermore, coming from a country whose motto is “liberté, égalité, fraternité” one would also guess that the spending is directed at the little people.