France's Entrepreneurial Renaissance

Under new leadership, France, the nation that coined the term 'entrepreneur,' may be headed for an entrepreneurial revival—if proposed tax cuts and revised employment regulations are adopted, that is.

So reports the Los Angeles Times. "The word 'entrepreneur' may have gone missing from the French spirit, if not from its vocabulary, but the new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is determined to bring it back and has the legislature working overtime in a special session to do so," the Times reports. "In general, [the new government is] trying to make things easier and more profitable, particularly for the small and medium-size businesses that are the backbone of the French economy."

Emboldened by the new pro-business attitude in Paris, "Many French entrepreneurs are ready for a storming of the economic Bastille, as it were," the paper says.

Have you lived or worked in France? Do you think Sarkozy will be able to jumpstart the entrepreneurial economy there? And do you think lower taxes and longer work weeks are the way to accomplish economic growth in France, or would you recommend an alternate agenda?

Mike Hofman was previously editor of Inc.com and a deputy editor at Inc. magazine, which he joined in 1996. The site was nominated for a National Magazine Award for Digital Media in 2010, and was named the best business website by Folio Magazine. In 2006, Hofman was part of a team of writers nominated for a Webby Award for best business blog. He lives in New York City. @mikehofman