Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS2095
2006-03-30 19:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
CPE LAW DECLARED CONSTITUTIONAL -- CHIRAC TO
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 301916Z Mar 06
UNCLAS PARIS 002095
SIPDIS
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE, DRL/IL, INR/EUC, EUR/ERA, EUR/PPD,
AND EB
DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR ITA
DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC ECON ELAB EU FR PGOV PINR SOCI
SUBJECT: CPE LAW DECLARED CONSTITUTIONAL -- CHIRAC TO
ADDRESS NATION TOMORROW
REF: A. (A) EMBASSY PARIS SIPRNET DAILY REPORT FOR MARCH
30 AND PREVIOUS
B. (B) PARIS 2048 AND PREVIOUS
UNCLAS PARIS 002095
SIPDIS
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE, DRL/IL, INR/EUC, EUR/ERA, EUR/PPD,
AND EB
DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR ITA
DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC ECON ELAB EU FR PGOV PINR SOCI
SUBJECT: CPE LAW DECLARED CONSTITUTIONAL -- CHIRAC TO
ADDRESS NATION TOMORROW
REF: A. (A) EMBASSY PARIS SIPRNET DAILY REPORT FOR MARCH
30 AND PREVIOUS
B. (B) PARIS 2048 AND PREVIOUS
1. (U) At 2000 local time March 30 France's Constitutional
Council announced that it had decided that the Equal
Opportunity Law -- including its controversial First
Employment Contract (CPE) article -- did not/not violate the
constitution (refs A and B). According to initial press
reports, the court approved the CPE law "without reserve,"
which means that President Chirac may now promulgate the law
at any time during the next nine days. President Chirac will
address the nation tomorrow March 31, in all liklihood to
communicate his intention to promulgate the law, or announce
that he has already done so, and to call an "employment
summit" to include representatives of all parties concerned.
2. (U) Initial reaction from opponents of the CPE was
predictable and swift. Francois Chereque, head of France's
most progressive trade union federation, the CFDT,
immediately declared that he would not attend such a
conference. Chereque summed up the position of those who
have been leading the protests (ref A and B) against the CPE:
that the measure must be withdrawn to be submitted to
negotiation with worker and student representives. Francois
Hollande, First Secretary of the Socialist Party said that if
President Chirac promulgates the law, "he is opening himself
to facing a test of strength."
3. (U) Should Chirac follow through, backing his prime
minister by promulgating the law, then the first round of the
upcoming test of strength will likely be next Tuesday, April
4, a day on which opponents of the CPE have called for
another round of demonstrations and strikes.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
Stapleton
SIPDIS
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE, DRL/IL, INR/EUC, EUR/ERA, EUR/PPD,
AND EB
DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR ITA
DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC ECON ELAB EU FR PGOV PINR SOCI
SUBJECT: CPE LAW DECLARED CONSTITUTIONAL -- CHIRAC TO
ADDRESS NATION TOMORROW
REF: A. (A) EMBASSY PARIS SIPRNET DAILY REPORT FOR MARCH
30 AND PREVIOUS
B. (B) PARIS 2048 AND PREVIOUS
1. (U) At 2000 local time March 30 France's Constitutional
Council announced that it had decided that the Equal
Opportunity Law -- including its controversial First
Employment Contract (CPE) article -- did not/not violate the
constitution (refs A and B). According to initial press
reports, the court approved the CPE law "without reserve,"
which means that President Chirac may now promulgate the law
at any time during the next nine days. President Chirac will
address the nation tomorrow March 31, in all liklihood to
communicate his intention to promulgate the law, or announce
that he has already done so, and to call an "employment
summit" to include representatives of all parties concerned.
2. (U) Initial reaction from opponents of the CPE was
predictable and swift. Francois Chereque, head of France's
most progressive trade union federation, the CFDT,
immediately declared that he would not attend such a
conference. Chereque summed up the position of those who
have been leading the protests (ref A and B) against the CPE:
that the measure must be withdrawn to be submitted to
negotiation with worker and student representives. Francois
Hollande, First Secretary of the Socialist Party said that if
President Chirac promulgates the law, "he is opening himself
to facing a test of strength."
3. (U) Should Chirac follow through, backing his prime
minister by promulgating the law, then the first round of the
upcoming test of strength will likely be next Tuesday, April
4, a day on which opponents of the CPE have called for
another round of demonstrations and strikes.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
Stapleton