New French president expected to usher in radical changes

[RedHot25]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/0...ce-change.html

Nicolas Sarkozy, a pro-American conservative candidate, won 53.06 per cent of the votes in Sunday's runoff presidential election. He beat Socialist candidate Segolene Royal, who received 46.94 per cent of the vote.

....

Sarkozy, leader of the right-of-centre Union for a Popular Movement party, pledged to improve the economy to bring about full employment, to strengthen French culture, to lengthen the 35-hour work week in France, to introduce measures to crack down on crime and to make immigration more difficult.

...

Biographer Michael Darmon said the president-elect faces stiff resistance to his planned reforms, including from unions in France that may object to a lengthening of the work week.
"He's going to have to bring together and win the support of a part of French society that's afraid of him," Darmon said in translation.
Other government leaders, he noted, have tried to bring in more modest reforms with little success.

[HOZ]

Originally Posted by RedHot25

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/0...ce-change.html

Nicolas Sarkozy, a pro-American conservative candidate, won 53.06 per cent of the votes in Sunday's runoff presidential election. He beat Socialist candidate Segolene Royal, who received 46.94 per cent of the vote.

....

Sarkozy, leader of the right-of-centre Union for a Popular Movement party, pledged to improve the economy to bring about full employment, to strengthen French culture, to lengthen the 35-hour work week in France, to introduce measures to crack down on crime and to make immigration more difficult.

...

Biographer Michael Darmon said the president-elect faces stiff resistance to his planned reforms, including from unions in France that may object to a lengthening of the work week.
"He's going to have to bring together and win the support of a part of French society that's afraid of him," Darmon said in translation.
Other government leaders, he noted, have tried to bring in more modest reforms with little success.

Radical? Lengthen a 35 hour work week is hardly radical. Sensible is the adjective that comes to mind along with competitive.

His chances of success are slim to none.

[Cowperson]

to bring about full employment,

I wonder what he thinks "full employment" is. French unemployment was 8.7% in December.

He'll have a hard time strengthening the economy while simultaneously strengthening French culture since the first would likely require more open borders and the latter more isolation.

Making immigration more difficult . . . . . another example that this is neither a left nor right wing issue since there are those on both sides of the question who have similar positions.

Cowperson

[RedHot25]

Well, Cow, what is interesting in this election is that you had 2 quite polar candidates. A lot of people are stating that is why the election had so much interest, as well as a super high (85%?!) voting turnout rate.

[peter12]

A legislated 35 hour work week... Wow.