Word: french
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...millions of French protesters took to the streets Thursday for a repeat of the nationwide strikes that slowed the country to a crawl on Jan. 29, there was the feeling that the mass social movement had become distinctly personal. More than ever before, marchers said they were not just denouncing the government's minimalist response to the worsening recession, but were singling out President Nicolas Sarkozy as the defiant embodiment of attention to ideological orthodoxy rather than the peoples' pain. As a result, public and political challenges to Sarkozy's leadership are growing - including from members of his own conservative...
...Paris' two airports, and long-haul service was normal. And while several provincial cities such as Lyon experienced considerable disruption of public transport, movement in Paris was near normal, with the exception of reduced service on a few suburban commuter lines. (See pictures of protests on the Spanish-French border...
...answer is: No. Though Sarkozy granted $3.5 billon in additional tax cuts to workers following January's walk-out, unions denounce that as a pittance compared to the $35 billion poured into business investment under the government's economic stimulus package and $468 billion in aid handed to French banks and finance groups. The protesters now have three main demands: that major funding be given to employees to increase purchasing power; that planned moves to cut public sector jobs be frozen for two years; and that Sarkozy roll back $595 million in tax cuts passed in July 2007, which critics...
...protection in the face of recession. Less than 48 hours before Thursday's marches, however, Sarkozy brushed off their calls, scolding critics with the reminder that "I was not elected to raise taxes [but] to reconcile France with the workplace and factory." But with polls indicating that 78% of French voters support Thursday's strike movement - three points higher than in January - union leaders and political opponents warn that Sarkozy will ignore the popular call for relief at his own peril. (See pictures of Sarkozy...
...days, the president's fellow rightists are also questioning his decision-making and leadership, with at least two conservatives clearly prepared to run against him for the Elysée in the 2012 elections. Former Prime Minister and long-time foe Dominique de Villepin has been seemingly omnipresent on French TV and radio second-guessing Sarkozy's thrifty economic stewardship and denouncing his decision to return France to NATO's integrated military command. (Read a TIME story on NATO...