![]() Tensions still simmer in France’s deprived multi-ethnic suburbs, where rioting exploded in 2005 and where many resent Sarkozy’s hard line on young offenders and immigration.īut many French are worried about integrating large numbers of immigrants from outside Europe and these concerns are often linked to worries over crime and security.Īs well as continuing his tough approach to crime and security, Sarkozy has vowed to pursue selective immigration to attract qualified workers. Sarkozy has pledged to bring public debt below 60 percent of GDP over five years by limiting public spending increases to 1.5 percent a year and reducing the number of civil servants. The outgoing government succeeded in cutting debt to 63.9 percent of GDP in 2006 from 66.2 percent in 2005. PUBLIC DEBTĭespite steady progress in cutting borrowing, France’s public sector debt is still well above the European Union’s limit of 60 percent of gross domestic product and debt payments are set to swallow some 41 billion euros in the 2007 budget. He plans gradual cuts in income tax and social security charges and will exempt mortgage interest payments from tax. ![]() He will loosen rules on the 35-hour working week and exempt overtime from tax and social security charges for both employers and employees. Sarkozy has pledged to allow people to earn more by working more. Along with jobs, purchasing power was one of the main preoccupations of the election campaign, despite relatively robust consumer spending in past months.
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