New French government to give itself 30% pay cu

 

PARIS - French leader Francois Hollande, the new Socialist government began to work on Thursday with the first agenda symbolic 30 percent pay cut for the president and ministers.

With the firm set to hold its first meeting, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the high point on the agenda would be the reduction of wages, a campaign promise that the Dutch Prime Minister said was to about "an example".

The movement was to make a clear distinction between Holland and the former president Nicolas Sarkozy, whose salary increased by 170 famous percent to € 19,000 ($ 30,576) a month after he took office in 2007.

Senior ministers meanwhile said the government's first concern would be to tackle the debt crisis and push European Holland vow to change economic direction of the European Union of austerity to growth.

"The priority is to sort out the crisis in Europe," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the news channel BFMTV. "I am deeply European, but we need a different Europe, a Europe that is much more focused on employment."

Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said that Paris would not ratify the EU pact of fiscal restraint if it does not contain measures to stimulate growth.

"What has been said very clearly is that the treaty will not be ratified as it stands and must be supplemented by a chapter on growth, with a growth strategy," said Moscovici BFMTV.

Moscovici also assured that the socialists keep public finances under control.

"We need to reorient the reconstruction of Europe, but not with your back to fiscal discipline," he added.

"Let me be very clear, Francois Hollande said it many times, we must tackle the public debt, reduce deficits, and secure the situation in France. This is fundamental, a country that goes to debt is a country that is impoverished. "

Holland, who beat right-winger Sarkozy in a vote May 6, on Wednesday unveiled a government made up mainly of moderate socialists and longstanding allies.

Fabius, 65, was prime minister of France under the last Socialist president Francois Mitterrand between 1984 and 1986, while 54 years Moscovici was campaign manager of Holland during the race.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, a local politician of 64 years in Britain, was appointed defense minister, while Manuel Valls, a modernizer free market since the right of the Socialist Party, was appointed Minister of Interior.

Holland has also chosen close ally Michel Sapin, 60, as minister of labor and to Arnaud Montebourg, 49 of the left wing of the Socialist Party, in charge of re-industrialization.

Including lack of government was the Socialist leader and former Labour Minister Martine Aubry, a key figure in the party's old guard of the left wing, who said she would not join the cabinet after passing for the presidency.

The new line-up also met with a promise to appoint an equal number of men and women at the firm Holland, a first for France, although the most senior positions has for men.

After meeting Thursday, the cabinet will help you plan the strategy for the socialist party's campaign to win a parliamentary majority in the parliamentary elections in June

In the political system of France's president requires a parliamentary majority in order to maintain a government, if not the prime minister is in charge of the executive.

Holland will in turn move to the United States on Friday for the start of a series of major international meetings, including a gathering of G8 leaders on Friday and Saturday and a NATO summit in Chicago on Sunday and Monday.

Holland was to hold a video conference later Thursday with leaders of Germany, Italy and Great Britain and senior EU officials, prior to meetings.