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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.

He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.

In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.

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• France 2001
  
• France 2002
  
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• France 2003
  
• France 2004
  
• France 2004, 2
  
• France 2005
  
• France 2005, 2
  
• France 2005, 3
  
• France 2006
  
• France 2006, 2
  
• France 2006, 3
  
• France 2007
  
• France 2007, 2
  
• France 2007, 3
  
• France 2007, 4
  
• France 2008
  
• France 2008, 2
  

The new real estate crisis is real. In many countries, where several made fortunes on the real estate appreciation in the last few years, the properties are getting cheaper with every month passing. Among them, France, a key European nation, has seen its market reaching historic heights by 2007. Now, officially, it's over. The national market, in general, is moving down, by 3 to 5 percent in 2007 and probably by similar margin in 2008 too. Only Paris defies the general trend, being up by 10 percent in 2007, for how long, nobody can give good answer because the reason for this capital city exception isn't very well studied.

The main causes for the market 'correction' in France are very similar, if not identical, to those cited in other countries from both sides of the Atlantic. People in France say the market levels have attained are very high for their budgets; that the general purchasing power is down, making other spending higher priority; finally, the interest rates are generally up, even after the most recent easing. As a result, more and more among those that express some willingness to buy finally renounce to confirm their intentions.

There is something more than just material factors playing. The mood of the potential buyers has changed radically since 2007. People feel uncertainty, express doubts, and prefer waiting and seeing how the market will go further. An additional uncertainty comes from the governmental activity; after a year in office and the presidential and governmental mea culpa, nobody knows exactly what the new political priorities might be. And the government in France, unlike in some other western countries, has enormous potential to influence market forces in both directions.

France country profile

• Area: 643,427 sq km (547,030 sq km in metropolitan France).
• Population: 64 million (60.9 million in metropolitan France) (July 2008 est.).
• Population growth rate: 0.574% (2008 est.).
• Net migration rate: 1.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.).
• Life expectancy at birth: 80.87 years.
• Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2008 est.).
• GDP (per capita): purchasing power parity $33,800 (2007 est.).
• GDP (real growth rate): 1.8% (2007 est.).
• Unemployment rate: 8% (2007 est.).
• Main trading partners: EU countries, the U.S.A.
• Internet users: 34.8 million (2007 est.)

(Sources: CIA World Factbook 2008; Reuters)

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See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of France.