The recent controversial immigration bill will create further challenges for France which needs to address its ongoing labour shortages while facing the threat of the far right taking over the helm of affairs. French manufacturing worsened towards the year end and, with the level of ongoing geopolitical uncertainty at present, its recovery will not be smooth. The extraordinary debt levels across the major economies in the world pose a risk to France, too, as it faces the threat of an austerity budget which directly impacts the financial health of households and consumers. Labour shortage/immig…