Nicolas Sarkozy's pro-American, pro-business platform has captured the attention of foreign investors who previously tended to view France as one of the last bastions of resistance to "Anglo-Saxon" capitalism.

France's economic performance improved immediately after Mr Sarkozy's electoral victory: the INSEE business climate indicator rebounded in June and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.2 per cent, the lowest in nearly 25 years. GDP is forecast to grow 2.25 per cent this year, up from 2.0 per cent last year.