France's Baby Boom

According to wikipedia France's total fertility rate was 1.98 children born per woman in 2006. That is near replacement rates and represents a dramatic the highpoint (so far) of dramatic uptick starting in the 1990s.

If this fertitility rate remains constant or increases it will (along with immigration) make France the most populous European nation (outside of I guess Russia) by 2050. At the very least I wonder what the geopolitical ramifications of a more populous French state will be. It also may mean that France will continue to be able to provide for a generous safety net for its citizenry, which may not be all that great in the long run.