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October 7, 2008 5:53:26 AM CDT

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Sarko Backs Down on Public Sector Cuts

Posted Aug 2, 07 9:28 AM CDT in World 

(Newser) – Nicolas Sarkozy has backed down from a campaign pledge to reform the sclerotic French civil service, says the Telegraph. The government has scuppered the president's vow to halve the number of civil servants, which Sarkozy had made a central feature of his policy of "rupture."

PM François Fillon's announcement that only a quarter of fonctionnaires would be cut is the latest of a series of retreats from the major reforms that the hyperactive Sarkozy had promised. His attempts to limit strikes have run into fierce union opposition, and in June he walked away from a planned restructuring of the university system, fearing a student revolt similar to the March, 2006, protests that paralyzed the nation.

Source Daily Telegraph (UK)

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New French President Nicolas Sarkozy, right, accompanies back newly named French Prime Minister Francois Fillon after their meeting at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Thursday, May 17, 2007. President Nicolas...   (Associated Press)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy poses for an official portrait next to the French and European Community flags, in the Elysee Palace library, in Paris, Monday, May 21, 2007. This photo will be displayed...   (Associated Press)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, right, with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, at left, addresses reporters during a press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, July 24, 2007. Sarkozy...   (Associated Press)
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France  • Nicolas Sarkozy  • reform  • Francois Fillon  • civil service


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