Over lunch - an INSEAD lunch where I met with Lebanon/Switzerland, France, Austria, Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan - we touched on the subject of a recent move made by the Singapore government.

Apparently, birth rates in Singapore have dropped to unprecedented lows (1.3 babies per woman). This rate is far lower than the renewal rate (about 2.1 babies per woman). In order to encourage families to have more children, the government is apparently thinking of introducing (or has just introduced) a fertility week. This means that the government will force families to take a week off every year to procreate. The government will compensate financially workers for this additional holiday during which all citizens will be asked to do their duty.

I wonder what the world would say if France decided to launch a similar initiative.