While visiting Alsace,I happen to cross the boarder to Germany and Switzerland just to lean the Economical paradox of the area, that isn't much of a paradox but a proof that the French government Taxation policy is hitting the poor.
The French are protesting for a long time about their "Pouvoir D'achat" and they are absolutely right but the problem is not their buying power but mainly the taxation the make the cost of the daily products to be expensive. When I visited Alsace in a little town called Saint Louis located in the corner where the boarders of the three countries connected I discovered that: 1. Gas is cheaper in Switzerland 2. Cigarettes are the most expensive in France 3. Food is the most expansive in France (much more expensive)actually everything you can find in the stores in Germany are cheaper then France thats including electronic products, computer, cleaning material and anything else. 4. Salaries are the highest in Switzerland 5. The only thing that is cheaper in France is housing Looking at the facts it means that the French government taxing policy is hitting the poor and the middles classes, thats why in the German supermarket 100 meter away from Saint Louis in the other side of the Rhone you will hear French more then German. Everything is far more expensive in France but houses, however these days not many can buy houses, and if they do buy houses and live in France then they will pay taxes in France. It's not an issue of "Pouvoir D'achat" because if the French would have been able to buy their food in Germany this issue would not be a problem. It is the policy of the French government, to tax everything as high as possible except those things that only limited amount of people can buy (houses) and even here they have a way to enjoy it. Therefore we should complain about high taxes rather then low "Pouvoir D'achat".
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"Je serais le président du pouvoir d'achat" a dit Nicolas SARKOZY ! MOINS D'IMPOTS POUR LES RICHES (Paquet fiscal) ET PLUS DE TAXES POUR TOUT LE MONDE (Voir la taxe carbone à revenir)
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Yes, the VAT, and some other taxes, are worst in France. And the IRS policies are to have the more well to do escape most of the heavy burdens. As well, French banks have subsidiairies in the off-shore countries. But there is another reason to investigate : what is the margin that the German or Swiss stores exert compared with the French ones ?
4 years ago, as I was living in Frankfurt (Hessen), I used to drive down Strasburg on week ends for shopping and other enjoyable things.
Petrol was 10 cts lower in Strasburg because of the Eco-tax on diesel in Germany.
Food and restaurants were cheaper as well and there was more choice (if you have been to Wertkauf or Lidl/ALDI, you know what I mean).
If Germany was on sales (WSV) in December, sales were more interesting in France and lots of German are shopping in Strasburg in December and January in you go down the streets, as I did.
Yes, computers have always been cheaper in Germany beacuse there is a great assembling industry (Medion, MPI (?),Vobis)
Yes, this year, in order to dissimulate the reduction of the brent to the end consumer, the governement increased taxes on petrol (a sort of carbon tax before its real scale implementation ); that 's fair!
And in december, french people love to buy german sweets, and Xmas cakes !!! that's why they drive a few km
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Nicolas SARKOZY ne fait rien contre l'évasion fiscale; au contraire il est tres indulgent pour Johnny Halliday ! Sarkozy impose Johnny Hallyday pour le 14 juillet : 500 000 euros !
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agnes this is totall wrong i have just been there in ordinary stores. The french are going to the german side to buy FOOD and anything else. and this isn't a secret this is what is going on NOW, maybe 4 years ago the situation was different but now this is a fact !!
... au Bristol , au Georges V , à LA TOUR D'ARGENT, les clients ne se plaignent pas de la baisse de la TVA !!!!! Chez MAC-DO ou chez Flunch par contre, on ne sent guère la difference: Merci pour pour eux, Monsieur Nicolas SARKOZY !
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Il est vrai que pour le chanoine du Latran , une charité bien ordonnée commence par soi-même : cela reste un principe religieux par excellence, même quand la vocation est douteuse , n'est-ce pas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was in Mannheim,Germany at the beginning of December.
Speaking of gasoline (diesel) , the preis was about what I paid in an average Carrefour in France. Actually, everybody can check on the linkhttp://www.clever-tanken.de/, the price of gas in different cities in Germany (today, it is about 1.18 € in Mannheim)
Speaking of food , I buy my food at the market or to local producers (or amap) because quaality matters, and also because I feel more useful, it is more friendly and it is also cheaper than in hypermarkets; therefore, I did not find differences between D and F.
I agree that a pint of beer (von Fass) is cheaper (5€)and better in D than in F; therefore, I don't drink beer in F. However, a pair of shoes is bloody expensive in Germany (over 100€ in sales, 200€ average) What is extremely cheaper? which food? bread, cheese, Schwein, Kohl?
Your article looks like mentalism: stating very general facts, without one example; Wie schade!
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ALL FOOD IS CHEAPER IN GERMANY !! thats why i didn't bring an example. meet, bread, milk cakes, tin cans, toilet papers even batteries for my camera cost HALF. I went there because my friend in the France town told me they all go to buy in Germany and my partner in other side in Germany complained that the supermarket is full because it serving two countries now after the bridge was built and that its cheaper. I guess you are a patriot French, you defend your civil service, your government taxes policy but you refuse to open your eyes. Yes you LIVED there (in the past) i was there 3 weeks ago !
