In the wake of ratings agency Fitch dowgrading France on Friday the President has today come out ready for a fight.
He urges his countrymen to be more positive, adding somewhat starkly
For years we have been the most pessimistic country in Europe, in the world even. There are countries at war that are more optimistic than we are
Will it be enough to galvanise the people ? The proof of the pudding, as they say, will be in the eating. And being positive is one thing, creating an economic recovery is something else.