Daniel Foubert calls Paris a ‘hellhole’ in new Instapundit opinion piece
Daniel Foubert, a former Paris resident of 25 years, posted an opinion commentary titled “Paris Is a Hellhole” on PJ Media’s Instapundit feed on October 3, 2026.
Foubert describes Paris as “dirty, expensive, hostile, bureaucratic and permanently dysfunctional,” citing high taxes, pervasive paperwork, frequent strikes, scaffolding and queues as evidence of a failing urban environment.
“You pay absurd taxes for public services that increasingly behave as if providing a service were an unreasonable personal request,” Foubert wrote.
The author contrasts the French capital with several large American cities that have been under Democratic control, arguing that similar complaints appear in Chicago, Portland, New York City, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. He notes that between 2014 and 2024 Chicago raised property taxes by 53.3 % while inflation ran 35 %, according to a civic group cited by Fox News.
Foubert also references crime trends, stating that homicides fell 17.7 % across 67 big‑city agencies in the first quarter of 2026, and that San Francisco reported a 30 % crime reduction and a 15‑year low in homeless encampments, which he attributes to stricter law‑enforcement policies.
The commentary mentions that roughly 40 % of France’s recent immigrants settle in the Paris region, adding pressure to housing, schools and social services. Foubert argues that the French state’s response to this influx has been “out of step” with assimilative expectations.
Financial context is provided with France’s debt reported at about 119 % of GDP, compared with 88.9 % for the euro area overall, and the United Kingdom’s debt at 93.8 % of GDP.
Foubert concludes that the problems he describes are the result of left‑leaning policies, suggesting that voters in both France and the United States repeatedly elect officials who “treat the customer as the problem.” He warns that the debate over these policies may influence upcoming mid‑term elections.
The piece has drawn reactions from readers on social media, with one user noting that a friend traveling from Belgium to Paris reported similar experiences, reinforcing Foubert’s claim that the city’s challenges are widely perceived.
