[GrumpyBen]

> will persecute the 99 other ones, and even put them in prison

No, you won't go to prison if your company fails, unless you've done something illegal, like using company money for personal benefits.

> So, they discourage people from being self-employed

No, they actually encourage self-employment. The new "auto-entrepreneur" status makes it very easy, you just need to register online.

> Nobody wants to start a new company.

False again. The number of new companies created in France have been at an all time high for the last 5 years.

[tobltobs]

How much again you are allowed to earn as a auto-entrepreneur?

[tarsinge]

~34k€ (37k$) / year, taxed at roughly 25%, so max net income of 2150€ ($2337) / month