While visiting Alsace,I happen to cross the boarder to Germany and Switzerland just to lean the Economical paradox of the area, that isn’t much of a paradox but a proof that the French government Taxation policy is hitting the poor. 

The French are protesting for a long time about their "Pouvoir D’achat" and they are absolutely right but the problem is not their buying power but mainly the taxation the make the cost of the daily products to be expensive. When I visited Alsace in a little town called Saint Louis located in the corner where the boarders of the three countries connected I discovered that: 1. Gas is cheaper in Switzerland 2. Cigarettes are the most expensive in France 3. Food is the most expansive in France (much more expensive)actually everything you can find in the stores in Germany are cheaper then France thats including electronic products, computer, cleaning material and anything else. 4. Salaries are the highest in Switzerland 5. The only thing that is cheaper in France is housing Looking at the facts it means that the French government taxing policy is hitting the poor and the middles classes, thats why in the German supermarket 100 meter away from Saint Louis in the other side of the Rhone you will hear French more then German. Everything is far more expensive in France but houses, however these days not many can buy houses, and if they do buy houses and live in France then they will pay taxes in France. It’s not an issue of "Pouvoir D’achat" because if the French would have been able to buy their food in Germany this issue would not be a problem. It is the policy of the French government, to tax everything as high as possible except those things that only limited amount of people can buy (houses) and even here they have a way to enjoy it. Therefore we should complain about high taxes rather then low "Pouvoir D’achat".