Meanwhile President Hollande won election on a platform that made no concessions to the deep structural challenges facing the French economy, promising to lower the retirement age from 62 to 60 for some workers, introduce a new top rate of tax of 75% for the highest earners and make it even harder to fire workers.

WSJ: France Is Biggest Obstacle to Solution

Research opportunities include research in the areas of compact energy storage and pulsed power, aerothermal protection systems for flight vehicles, high-strength and dielectric structural materials, and system interfaces between high-power loads and platform power distribution networks.

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