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The French prime minister has proposed drastic spending cuts and tax increases to shore up the country’s accounts, but his plan could backfire.

By Liz Alderman

Liz Alderman, who writes about business and economics in Europe, reported from Paris.

Italy was once Europe’s emblem for political instability, with a mounting debt and deficit and few options to fix the mess. Now, it’s France’s turn, and the situation is about to get worse.