Finance Minister Le Maire Explains the French Economic Comeback

Closed schools. Empty shelves. Workers out sick. Almost two years after Covid-19 overturned the U.S. economy, "it's like deja vu all over again,'' in the words of baseball great and eminent wordsmith Yogi Berra. This week, we dive into how the omicron variant is likely to disrupt plans across America this winter. But we also explore how another country is bouncing back, as Stephanie chats with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire about his nation's robust economic comeback. 

But first, senior reporter Shawn Donnan gets a firsthand look at omicron's disruption at a Washington-area pizzeria. He explains why one economist likens the current infection surge to the "mother of all winter storms," one that cancels flights and causes supermarket shortages of everything from chicken to tofu. 

Next, we size up French President Emmanuel Macron's reelection chances this spring and a campaign centered on the nation's humming economy. Le Maire tells Flanders that France's employment rate, its highest in 50 years, is a sign of Macron's success. Paris-based economics reporter Will Horobin shares why the nation's economic recovery may sway France's voters more than its culture-war clashes. 

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