Time we started being patriotic

This week, I turn to one of my other interests — economics — and I suggest that we have a lot to learn in this area from the French.

Some find the French arrogant, but I believe that the character they display is patriotism rather than arrogance. Yes, they may refuse to speak to you in English, and they may come across as cold — but boy, does their patriotism shine through.

Last week, I was in France for just a few days to attend a wedding. I was pleasantly surprised to see the proportion of Citroen, Renault and Peugeot cars on the roads. I wondered how can a country like France, even with its population of over 60m, sustain three major car brands, while in many closely neighbouring countries with equally high populations, the car market is essentially served by foreign suppliers.