Can France Still Afford Its Generous Welfare State?

France is on the edge of a financial spiral. The global surge in interest rates has exposed the country, once considered an oasis of stability in Europe’s financial markets, as one of the continent’s weakest links. France now pays more to borrow than former crisis hot spots like Greece and Italy. With government debt growing faster than the economy, the pressure on France to rein in its budget deficit has never been higher. CNBC's Liz Napolitano reports.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:04 Chapter 1 - French debt

04:09 Chapter 2 - Protests and political indecision

Reporter: Liz Napolitano

Produced, Shot and Edited by: Romy Tarantino

Animation: Jason Reginato, Emily Park

Supervising Producer: Shawn Baldwin

Additional Footage: Getty Images

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Can France Still Afford Its Generous Welfare State?