Letter from Paris: Something a bit better than capitalism
Vincent Rousselet
The French are currently gripped by pessimism, but they could learn much from the nation's most successful global brands.
My grandmother was born exactly a century ago, in 1912. Sadly, she died in 2010. If she were still alive today – a Parisian who had relied on buses and the Metro for most of her life – she would have been be in for a shock: since 1 September, Parisian public transport is no longer free for pensioners or disabled people.
Family legend has it that she was one...