Éric Lombard, France’s Minister of Economy and Finance, makes a negative impression almost every day with his statements on the economy and the role of the state in society. These positions are a perfect reflection of the gulf between the French political class, defenders of socialist statism, and a world that is following a completely opposite path: one of freedom, economic liberalization, eager to reduce the weight of the state in the life of individuals... In short, we are witnessing a revival of liberal ideas in the West while countries like France plunge ever deeper into statism. This theological dogmatism in socialism and statism may prove unwise in a world where political leaders like Milei, Meloni and Trump tend to agree that the excessive presence of the state is precisely the danger.

What Éric Lombard shows with his recent statements is his misunderstanding of the failure of interventionist policies in the economic process that can only always produce mediocre results because it doesn’t follow basic market realities. The results will always be mediocre, because the imperative of real results—profits resulting from consumer satisfaction—is absent. As a result, it doesn’t make sense for the state to invest in a sector in which the private sector is already heavily involved. A sector in which the private sector will always be faster and more efficient, as competition dictates.

The tragedy of such pointless adventures lies above all in the definitive loss of resources and time for the French economy. The tragedy is that the alternative—truly productive uses of capital—will never see the light of day, all because of interventionism. Interventionism is nothing more than a permanent sabotage of true progress, which can only come from the free market. Sadly, with such a Minister of Economy, France’s future doesn’t look too bright. This is a shame for the birthplace of such renowned liberal thinkers such as Turgot, Say, and Bastiat.