Innovative French Fiscal Stimulus Measures: Christmas Lights

November 24, 2014 in Daily Bulletin

With French economic policy in disarray, local leaders are doing what they can writes Jason Karaian:

  • In an annual tradition, the mayor of Paris lights the city’s Christmas lights to signal the start of the holiday season.
  • This year the lights are being lit earlier than usual in the hopes that it will put shoppers in a high spending festive mood, thus providing an economic boost.
  • In an indication of just how desperate times are in France, the last time that the lights were turned on this early was during the depths of the financial crisis in 2008.
  • The mayor’s office, for its part, suggests that the lights are being turned on earlier than usual merely due to other scheduling conflicts.

Read more here.

Source: Quartz