1. France's image and appeal. Corporate influence and action

On the international scene, which has become globalized, States seemed (before the financial and then global economic crisis of 2007-2009) to have lost many of their traditional prerogatives to the regional (French regions, German Länder) or supranational (European Union, for example) levels and to multinational companies. Yet the role of public power is essential, and the Americans, always ready to put forward the free play of the market, have clearly understood its limits and the current stakes. President Clinton was already canvassing foreign markets, and numerous agencies facilitate export guarantees (Eximbank) and foreign investment financing (FDIC). Similarly, the federal government, which it's fashionable to say doesn't exist, has 3 million civil servants and, since Obama, hasn't hesitated to save the banks, as well as AIG and General Motors. In addition, it continues to work alongside...