The Scandinavian economic model, combining market flexibility with a high degree of social protection, “is full of lessons for countries such as France, Germany and Italy”, Christian Noyer, governor of the Bank of France, has argued. 

The willingness of France's central bank governor to admit in an interview with the Financial Times that other countries might have found a better answer to the forces of globalisation highlights how the political debate in Paris has shifted since the country rejected the European Union proposed constitution in May.