It's easy (and fun!) for us to sit back and tell Europe what to do. But really, I like your ideas and I wish we could do more of them here in the U.S.
We're not alone.
The idiot Chirac recently could be heard scoffing at economic 'liberalization' (meaning less safety net, longer hours, less regulation, more reliance on free market influence) as keys to economic performance.
This is a direct assault on Tony Blair and the Brit's market economy (and by proxy, ours) as well as the financial economists as places like LSE and Imperial and SOAS at London U that're now thinking that the way to a nation's wealth is through this liberalization.
In my judgment, the key to all economic growth is adequate finance, or efficient funding of the capital stock. Financial innovation has created a better environment for savers to share risks (more optimal portfolios), and for entrepreneurs to get just the type of finance they need to invent and innovate.
As they say in France, 'Voila!'