People reading the parent comment should be aware that labor laws are vastly different in Europe - even within the EU - so if you're from outside Europe, don't be scared to start a company in Europe just because of how things might be in France.

As an example, Denmark (also part of the EU) was named Best Country to Start a Business in a survey published in Wall Street Journal in 2010 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870385920457552...).