VIDEO The French left see Mr Fillon as one of the “least detested” members of Mr Sarkozy’s team given his background as an old-school Gaullist and champion of social inclusiveness. (FT, 07/05/20
Sarkozy picks moderate as premier
By John Thornhill, Martin Arnold in Paris and James Blitz in London
Published: May 7 2007 18:42 | Last updated: May 7 2007 22:05
Nicolas Sarkozy is planning to appoint one of his most moderate allies as France’s prime minister in an attempt to win support for the contentious labour reforms he has said are essential to the country’s economic future.
The president-elect will name François Fillon, the mastermind of his election victory and former education minister, as prime minister after assuming the presidency. Mr Fillon is seen by the left as one of the “least detested” members of Mr Sarkozy’s team.
Although he has yet to announce the appointment and Mr Sarkozy’s spokesman said no final decision had been made, the president-elect confided his plan to Tony Blair by telephone on Sunday night, according to British government sources.
During the conversation with the British prime minister, who had called to congratulate the winner of Sunday’s presidential elections, Mr Sarkozy said: “Why don’t you say a few words to the next prime minister of France?” At this point, Mr Sarkozy handed his mobile phone to Mr Fillon, who spoke with Mr Blair for a few minutes, according to the sources.
Mr Sarkozy, who on Monday flew to Malta for a short holiday on a private yacht, is due to enter the Elysée palace on May 16 and will immediately appoint a new prime minister to replace Dominique de Villepin.
The appointment of Mr Fillon as premier could ease negotiations with France’s two biggest unions, which on Monday warned Mr Sarkozy he had to consult the country’s “social partners” fully before implementing contentions labour market reforms.
The French left see Mr Fillon as one of the “least detested” members of Mr Sarkozy’s team given his background as an old-school Gaullist and champion of social inclusiveness.
Although the CFDT and CGT unions said they respected Mr Sarkozy’s emphatic victory, they insisted the president had to observe France’s traditions of social dialogue. The CFDT union said in a statement. “The method the head of state chooses to propel his reforms will be critical.”
The warning from the two unions, with 1.5m members, highlights the difficulties Mr Sarkozy will face in loosening France’s rigid labour market no matter how much his victory was welcomed by business leaders and investors. His reforms will also depend on his ability to form a majority in parliament after next month’s legislative elections.
The latest opinion polls suggest, however, that Mr Sarkozy’s UMP party is well placed to retain its majority – especially given the disarray in the opposition Socialist party after the defeat of its presidential candidate, Ségolène Royal.
Economists greeted Mr Sarkozy’s win with enthusiasm, anticipating tax cuts, labour market reform and debt-reduction. But the CAC-40 share index fell slightly to 6,064.02, after hitting a fresh six-year high shortly after markets opened. Mr Sarkozy has promised to host four conferences with the social partners in September to discuss reform of France’s workplace laws. He has said he wants a single contract to simplify the complex labour code in return for legislation on pay equality and conditions.
Laurence Boone, economist at Barclays Capital in Paris, said: “My opinion is it is not in his interests to behave like a Thatcher and take on the unions especially given the tense social climate. It would be really tough.”
Additional reporting by Godfrey Grima in Malta
Quentin Peel on the French election and what Nicolas Sarzoky's victory means for France
Full Transcript To change current settings select from the links below
| Flash Media 56K (Dialup) 300K (Broadband) |
Quentin Peel on the French election and what Nicolas Sarzoky's victory means for France
Full Transcript To change current settings select from the links below
| Flash Media 56K (Dialup) 300K (Broadband) |
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007