It appears that being in charge is hard work

This FT Editorial is bang on the money when it describes our friends/competitors on the economically in-Continent,

The core eurozone countries – Germany, France and Italy – find it difficult to reform when times are bad. Invariably, governments intervene to protect voters from the downturn. Worse, these countries also find it hard to reform in good times. Governments often confuse a cyclical upturn with a secular improvement, and ease up on necessary but uncomfortable reforms.