I'm actually kind of sad for France, because in the long run France, like much of the rest of Europe, is toast.

Birthrates in France, Spain, Italy and others falls way, way below the replacement birth rate. This implies that over time, absent immigration, the population will shrink.

But that's only half of the problem. The European countries with extremely low birthrates are also the ones addicted to massively expensive social welfare system. As the average age of the population rises, the ratio of young working people (i.e. taxpayers) to older, benefit consuming people (pensions and health care) will inexorably drop. There's a disconnect, and ultimately it will be solved with immigration. Birthrates in north Africa and the middle east are vastly higher than in Europe, and in the same way that Mexicans and other latin Americans come to the US for a better life, so will the old Europe be filled with young immigrants willing to work; the French and other Europeans will, I believe, learn to live with this to keep the flow of taxes and benefits going.

Unfortunately, Europe doesn't have the naturally immigrant-based, assimilationist culture that the US does, and the largely Muslim immigrants will represent a much greater cultural divide than our latin and Asian immigrants do in the US. It ain't gonna be pretty; in 30-50 years Europe will not be what it is today, it will be another thing entirely, and probably filled with conflict. At any rate, France in 30 years won't even presume to tell the US what to do - it will have far too many problems of its own.

I lived in Europe for several years and truly love the place, but when a continent/culture basically gives up on being a strong, innovative growing part of the world for child-free comfort and convenience and 6 week vacations, I don't have too much sympathy for what happens.

__________________
Illegitimi non carborundum