2003 Tourist Levels down 20%, 25% in Languedoc

As any gite owner will tell you 2003 has not been a good year. Despite the increased level of Ryanair flight occupancy the overall numbers of tourists visiting the Languedoc this year has tumbled. It is not just a question on quantity but also of quality. The most generous seizable tourists are the Germans and this year they have stayed at home. The ongoing economic insecurity of the German economy is thought to be to blame. Another reason possibly has been the incredible weather has made a summer holiday at home or further North attractive for once. The strong Euro has certainly had an impact on the British tourists, the war on the US market. The Dutch and Belgium markets have stayed strong, but sadly they are at the bottom end of the most profitable tourists, the Dutch particularly with their love of camping and self catering.

Another storm cloud on the horizon is the legal action taken by Air France against the Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The CCI have effectively been subsidising Ryanair to fly into their underused airport. It would appear this is a common part of the deal the budget airline use with the owners of the small regional airports they use in France. Air France have now taken their complaint to the European Commission in an attempt to outlaw this hidden subsidy. Ryanair in return have threatened to withdraw from the French market. The effects on the Aude, surrounded as we are by Ryanair destinations-Carcassonne, Perpignan, Montpellier and Nimes-will be devastating particularly as Ryanair have been a major factor in bringing in tourists out of season.

Raffiran declares "A budget that reaffirms the importance and dignity of work", "A Budget that doesn't work"his critics retort

SEO Services Can Change the Amount of Business Received by You. SEO services can change the business received by you.

25th September 2003. Prime Minister Raffiran reaffirms the governments commitment to Internal Security and Defence at the cost of Education, Sport, Transport and the public sector. Despite the fourth year running of France having to explain its budget deficit to Brussels as it once again burst through the ceiling of the euro stability pact the ongoing tax cuts that Chirac used to bribe himself into the Champs d'Elysses continue, this year with 3% of income tax. Francis Mer, the Minister of Finance found himself in a very tricky position today, 26h September, at the Monetary Committee of the Council of Ministers in Brussels, despite the support of Germany the overspenders received a sever rapping of the knuckles, will the European central Bank and the Commission have the courage to fine their tow largest members? However indirect taxation continues to mount with taxes on petrol increasing as well as prescription charges being introduced. No matter which way you look at this budget it is overall what economists would call "regressive" with the majority of the taxation benefits being felt by the higher salaried than those on low and medium wages. The lifting of key taxes on larger businesses and the restructuring of smaller business taxation, with the threat to sole traders, once again shows that the vision of the government is à la Messier of creating large world beating companies at the cost of small and medium enterprises- worked well with Alstom didn't it boys, not to mention Messier's own Vivendi Universal.

On the security side the Ministry of the Interior gains over a 5% increase, with promises to employ a further 1,000 police, and a further 2,200 prison staff and 150 judges -presumably to cope with the work. A further 76 million Euros has been put aside to furnish the police with the latest arms. Sarkozy must be so happy, all those photo opportunities. This attempt to squeeze the Front National vote has gone so far as the actual deportation of the head of the sans papier immigrant organisation in Perpignan and Paris.

The debate continues on the Left, is this France's dose of Thatcherism? Well yes and no. On the one hand you have the tradition Right support of stronger internal security and attacks upon migration and migrants, but the commitment to hard and pure liberal economic policies and the onslaught against the public sector and Labour movement is at best half hearted. At heart Chirac is a populist, with a career based on his sympathy for the "common man" and firm base in the, heavily subsidised, countryside. When faced with a conflict his natural inclination is to compromise rather than stand firm. There are tougher figures within the l'UMP but their primary objective at the moment seems to be securing the Presidential candidature for the next term, not the implementation of policy.

Despite the tough measures taken on pension reform the real threat from this government is Constitutional. The way they are planning to change the electoral system, breaking the national vote down to Regional, will in effect creat a bi-polar system and force the smaller parties into one or other of the Left Right blocks. France's rich tradition of political pluracy will be broken, minority views silenced, and the power of the Parisian-based Party bosses increased. It's not this government we have to watch out for but the next one.