Toward Balanced Development

France faces fundamental choices about regional development:

The Efficiency Argument

Concentrating resources in competitive locations maximizes growth: - Agglomeration economies are real - Global competition requires scale - Spreading resources too thin wastes them - Market forces reflect efficiency

The Equity Argument

Balanced development serves social cohesion: - Citizens deserve opportunity regardless of birthplace - Regional diversity enriches national culture - Concentration creates vulnerabilities - Political stability requires inclusion

A Synthetic Approach

Perhaps France needs both: - Strengthen multiple metropolitan areas, not just Paris - Support rural areas with real comparative advantages - Accept some concentration while maintaining minimum services everywhere - Use technology to overcome distance disadvantages - Build on regional strengths rather than imposing uniform models