Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: French government faces rebellion (Reuters)

Se Roma piange Parigi non ride.
Caos politico e scivolone dell' Euro in vista?
Am.
Sunday May 15, 02:19 PM
French government faces rebellion
 PARIS (Reuters) - Millions of French workers are expected to stay at 
home on Monday, ignoring a government decision to scrap the traditional 
Pentecost public holiday to generate funds to improve healthcare for the 
elderly.
 Mass defiance of the government will deal a new blow to the authority 
of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and President Jacques Chirac, two 
weeks before a referendum on the European Union constitution which polls 
show the government could lose.
 The row over the holiday has served as a lightning rod for opposition 
to the constitution. The latest opinion poll by the Ifop research group 
showed the charter's opponents are again ahead of its backers, by a 
margin of 54 percent to 46 percent.
 "The great day of solidarity foreseen for Monday, May 16 has become a 
social and political imbroglio (mess)," Le Monde newspaper said in an 
editorial in its Sunday edition.
 France's cash-strapped government hopes taxes on Monday's production 
will generate an extra 2 billion euros (1.36 billion pounds) to be spent 
on healthcare for the aged.
 In 2003, the government was criticised for being unprepared and not 
acting fast enough to save lives when an August heatwave killed 15,000 
people, most of them elderly.
 By dumping what was one of 11 public holidays, Raffarin had hoped to 
avoid raising taxes on individuals, but now faces a backlash over what 
unions call a "day of free work".
 An Ifop poll published on Sunday showed 55 percent of employees plan 
not to work on Monday. Another poll last week found two-thirds of people 
oppose the government's decision.
 Ifop found 28 percent of respondents plan to take the day off, while 13 
percent cannot work because their company is not working. Fourteen 
percent have decided to strike for the day.
 FEARS OF CHAOS
 Government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope said it was normal that people 
giving up a day's holiday did so "with some gnashing of teeth" but that 
it was better than raising taxes.
 Those who do show up for work could face chaos because the SNCF rail 
network has given many of its workers the day off.
 The SNCF, which faced strike threats by unions, has decided its workers 
will from now on work one minute 52 seconds longer each day to make up 
for the lost labour.
 It hopes to run a normal service on Monday by offering those who work a 
holiday rate, but many people fear chaos as they return from a long 
holiday weekend. Other rail companies faces strikes and taxi drivers are 
charging the higher holiday rate.
 The five main energy unions have called a strike although ordinary 
consumers are not expected to face power cuts. Some parents plan to keep 
their children at home because although schools will be open, some 
canteens may not be.
 The controversy comes at an awkward time for the government before the 
May 29 referendum on the EU constitution, which is intended to make the 
25-nation bloc work more smoothly following its enlargement in May last 
year.
 Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper said on Sunday that discontent over 
the holiday had contributed to a new surge in opposition to the charter, 
as shown in the Ifop poll published on Saturday and carried out on May 
12-13.
 Critics say the treaty imposes an economic model they reject. Others 
just want to vote "No" to show their discontent with the government and 
high unemployment.
 Other recent polls have put the "Yes" and "No" camps level and some 
have put the treaty's supporters ahead.
 A "No" vote would be a political blow for Raffarin and Chirac, who have 
promoted the constitution, and cause a crisis of confidence in the EU 
that could unsettle financial markets.

 Am.
Enno` ehh!....La pensione m'arriva in Euro...porcaccia!!!
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wrote:
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Fai piu' radiografie a tutte quelle tettone d'allevatrici...
Oppure diminuisci la carne e la birra, secondo gli insegnamenti 
tibetani, che non aiutano la contemplazione...
Bwaha!
Am.

 tibetani, che non aiutano la contemplazione...
#_Vegge sugno paisa'!...I quarti di giovenca che ančlo nun se mózzicano!!
;-)
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 Fai piu' radiografie a tutte quelle tettone d'allevatrici...
#_Tettone a parte e per non essere troppo OT, io spero che il referendum
termini con la vittoria degli "oui" e non solo per la mia pensione, ma per
questa Europa che soffre di rachitismo nella sua crescita politica...ma
onestamente la Pensione dall'INPS e`una grossa fetta di preoccupazione,
perche`l'importo di essa e`appena sufficiente al sostentamento ( e io faccio
radiografie aggratisse!).
Tu che ne pensi? ... Voglio di' sul referendum.
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 Tu che ne pensi? ... Voglio di' sul referendum
Delle tette? Radiografabili con o senza chador? Non siamo ancora a 
questo punto...
Am.

"amalric" <ama...@TOGLIMIaliceposta.it> wrote in message
news:bbPhe.1389551$35.51...@news4.tin.it...

#_Zitto...perlamiseria!...IL NEMICO TI ASCOLTA! (Spero che non sappia
leggere italiano)
Ho come vicino di casa un rifugiato Afghano con moglie dentro le quinte
portabili, che e`gia`geloso pàrcio e non gli va giu`che io viva da
solo...sono per lui una minaccia persistente, 24 ore al giorno per sette
giorni alla settimana...per lui so' come "il Dairy Indu`della lussuria" ;-)
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