Introduction

The book retraces the economic and monetary history of France since the Second World War and endeavors to sketch out what France in the twenty-second century could look like. Why does the book not provide economic forecasts, you may ask. It has to be conceded that the forecasts of economists have been proved wrong for as long as the profession has existed. Despite the development of econometrics and big data, the economic forecasts produced by central and commercial banks, rating agencies, and other research institutes have struggled to come about and remain hopelessly wrong. Where economists have failed, some novelists have succeeded. In the book, Paris au XXe siècle, Jules Verne not only imagines Paris in the twentieth century but also what will become of the city in the following century. By giving you the keys to the monetary and economic history of France of the past eighty years, this book invites you to become Jules Verne and foresee France’s economic future. Why not bring your stone to the edifice as an entrepreneur, researcher, or artist?