This is why France is a declining power
For decades, France has positioned itself as a beacon of democracy, lecturing the world on governance, human rights, and economic responsibility.
Yet, a closer look at its current trajectory reveals a country held hostage by activist groups that exert outsized influence on legislative decisions—often at the expense of its own economic and democratic integrity. This should serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of the world: when unelected entities shape policy without accountability, democratic legitimacy erodes, and prosperity falters.
A subcontracted democracy
Modern governance in France increasingly resembles an outsourcing model—where decisions affecting millions are heavily swayed by pressure groups operating beyond the reach of democratic scrutiny. The latest example comes from environmental regulations that are reshaping entire industries, seemingly dictated by activist circles rather than elected representatives. Just to take one example, look at the recent case of PFAS chemicals. This four-letter acronym covers a wide range of different substances with benefits in healthcare, cosmetics, machinery, and many other areas. But rather than employ an evidence-based approach exploring the benefits and risks of each, the government, lobbied by campaign groups, opted for a blanket ban. Jobs and competitiveness don’t seem to have formed any part of the equation. There are a multitude of other examples: from punishing farmers for producing food (because it creates carbon dioxide); to taxes that hit local producers only for the same products to be imported from third countries. These are not simply cases of environmental overreach, they are a demonstration of how ideological activism is replacing rational policymaking. This raises a fundamental question: who truly governs France?
Economic Self-Sabotage
France has an advanced industrial base that policymakers seem determined to dismantle. Instead of crafting pragmatic policies that balance economic growth with environmental responsibility, legislators are enacting sweeping restrictions that put domestic firms at a competitive disadvantage. Meanwhile, international rivals continue business as usual, effectively capitalizing on France’s self-imposed constraints. The result is not a greener planet, but an accelerated decline in national competitiveness and industrial employment.
As a result, the very industries that France is eager to regulate out of existence are relocating elsewhere—primarily to countries that welcome industrial investment rather than penalize it. This is not just an economic mistake; it is a complete abdication of strategic foresight. France increasingly resembles the very caricature of Old Europe: a declining power that wakes up one day to find itself deindustrialized and dependent on others for essential goods.
A nation that lectures but fails to lead
France remains one of the most vocal proponents of global governance, regularly instructing other nations on democratic norms and economic sustainability. Yet its own institutions are increasingly characterized by regulatory overreach, ideological rigidity, and a lack of democratic responsiveness. How credible is a country that preaches free enterprise while burdening its businesses with punitive regulations? How persuasive is a government that champions democracy abroad but allows policymaking to be influenced by opaque advocacy networks at home? No wonder voters are showing their frustration.
A gift to the rest of the world
The case of France offers both a lesson and an opportunity to the rest of the world. As French industries collapse under the weight of overregulation, factories and investment capital are moving to countries that prioritize economic growth and industrial development. This shift will accelerate global realignments in trade and production, strengthening emerging markets while leaving France increasingly irrelevant in the industrial arena.
What is happening in France should not be dismissed as a local political peculiarity—it is a warning for all nations. When governments allow unelected interest groups to dictate policy without accountability, they risk undermining both their economic foundations and the very democratic principles they claim to uphold. France’s trajectory illustrates how well-intentioned activism, when unchecked, can morph into a force that stifles innovation, erodes economic sovereignty, and diminishes institutional credibility.
The rest of the world would do well to take note. Democracy, if it is to mean anything, must remain a system where elected officials—not self-appointed moral arbiters—shape the laws that govern society.
