Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 4, 2008 10:40:25 AM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Sarko: 'No Surrender' to Strikers

Posted Nov 20, 07 4:50 PM CST in World 

(Newser) – Nicolas Sarkozy, in his first public comments on the matter, said today he will not back down from pension reform in the face of a week-long transit strike, the AP reports. "France needs reforms to meet the challenges imposed on it by the world," he said as he called for transit employees to return to work.

"We will not surrender and we will not retreat," Sarkozy continued, referring to reforms he has instituted. If he prevails, other professions will be less likely to strike as he institutes nationwide labor cost-cutting measures. Public opinion is an important ally for Sarkozy, and it appears to be working in his favor: Some transit workers are already back at work, and poll respondents favor the president's stance.

Sources Associated Press, New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Court Sticks It to Sarko Over Voodoo Dolls

    Nov 28, 08 4:25 PM CST
    Court Sticks It to Sarko Over Voodoo Dolls An appeals court in France essentially told the nation's president to lighten up today. The court rejected a bid by Nicolas Sarkozy to ban voodoo dolls made in his likeness, the International Herald Tribune reports. It ruled that the dolls can continue to be sold, only now they must have a red label declaring that poking the mini-Sarko constitutes an attack on his dignity. The court also awarded Sarkozy a token euro in damages and told the doll maker to pay $2,000 in legal fees. More »

  • Aubry Will Lead French Socialist Party After Vote

    Nov 25, 08 2:54 PM CST
    Aubry Will Lead French Socialist Party After Vote Martine Aubry has edged out rival Ségolène Royal to become the leader of France’s Socialist Party, the BBC reports. A recount of last week’s vote, requested by Royal, actually widened Aubry’s winning margin. Royal, the party’s presidential candidate last year, said she would not accept confirmation of the vote by the national leadership, which leans against her. Aubry will be the first woman to lead the party. More »

  • Former French PM Accused In Sarko Scandal

    Nov 20, 08 9:19 AM CST
    Former French PM Accused In Sarko Scandal Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin will face trial for his role in an alleged smear campaign against Nicolas Sarkozy, who outmaneuvered him for the presidency. The "Clearstream Affair" scandal dates to 2004, when an anonymous source sent a judge a list of politicians, including Sarkozy, said to be laundering bribes through a Luxembourg bank. But the list turned out to be bogus and a brouhaha erupted, the Guardian writes.
    More »

  • Emerging Economies Gain Clout in G-20

    Nov 16, 08 1:34 PM CST
    Emerging Economies Gain Clout in G-20 The plans outlined by global leaders at the meeting to deal with the financial crisis reflect a shifting balance of power, with emerging economies such as Brazil, India, and China gaining influence, the Washington Post reports. And the Europeans largely got what they wanted from the summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after the emergency meeting ended yesterday. More »

  • France's Finance Chief to Play Key Summit Role

    Nov 14, 08 7:38 AM CST
    France's Finance Chief to Play Key Summit Role This weekend's emergency G20 summit will bring together world leaders with very different ideas of how to fix the global economy. But while heads of state and government talk in front of the cameras, one woman will be key in building a consensus: Christine Lagarde, the French finance minister. After years in Chicago at the top of a major law firm, Lagarde brings an American-style candor to the rarefied world of European diplomacy.
    More »

French policemen demonstrate in Lille, Northern France, Tuesday Nov. 20, 2007, against the government plans to reform special retirement benefits. Civil servants, from teachers to postal workers, began...   (Associated Press)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy delivers a speech at a meeting of the French mayors association in Paris, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007. President Nicolas Sarkozy insisted, in the face of broad strikes by civil...   (Associated Press)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives to deliver a speech at the meeting of the French mayors association in Paris, Tuesday, Nov, 20, 2007. President Nicolas Sarkozy insisted, in the face of broad...   (Associated Press)
Students joining civil servants marching in Toulouse, southwestern France, Tuesday Nov. 20, 2007. Civil servants, from teachers to postal workers, began a mass walkout across France on Tuesday, the seventh...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

France • Nicolas Sarkozy • transit strike


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »