It's still pretty bad. A lot of red tape, a steep initial cost and then ongoing taxes left and right which make America's social security look like a waiter tip

It's still pretty bad. A lot of red tape, a steep initial cost and then ongoing taxes left and right which make America's social security look like a waiter tip. The amount of coverage that business owners need to provide for their employees is through the roof, and it hurts both employers and employees. There's also the ridiculous mandatory three month notice if you want to leave your job which makes hopping from one job to the next close to impossible. The unions have completely paralyzed the working market in France and they very often act in direct opposition of the workers they are supposed to defend, such as how they imposed the 35 hour work week (which nobody wanted, especially not workers, who'd rather work more and earn more money) and the quasi impossibility to open shop on Sundays despite protestations of everyone. I don't know why this article thinks France might be the next start up nation because unsurprisingly, the author offers very little evidence to back up this claim.