French Real Estate Market Faces Crunch

The country's economy collapses sector by sector

France's economic foundations are cracking. Unemployment hit 10.5% and is incessantly rising. The private sector is becoming comatose.

Car sales sank 13.9% in 2012, from a lousy 2011; sales by its native automakers plunged even more: PSA PeugeotCitroën down 16.6%, Renault Group down 19.8%.

Now home sales are grinding to a halt. And the finger-pointing has already started.

In the lofty realm of apartments in Paris that are valued at €2 million or higher—€2 million doesn't buy all that much in Paris anymore—a game of chicken is apparently transpiring. The number of transactions crashed by 42% in 2012.