Posted on 09/23/2007 7:14:21 PM PDT by blam
French PM Fillon tells farmers 'France is broke'
By Henry Samuel in Paris
Last Updated: 2:30am BST 24/09/2007
France is bankrupt and can no longer afford to pay its workers generous salaries and subsidies, its prime minister has declared.
Francois Fillon made the undiplomatic outburst during a trip to the French island of Corsica, where farmers were demanding more government money.
"I am at the head of a state that is in a position of bankruptcy," he said.
"I am at the head of a state that for 15 years has been in chronic deficit. I am at the head of a state that has not once passed a balanced budget in 25 years. This can't go on."
Mr Fillon's government is due to announce the 2008 budget this week with a deficit of €41.5billion (£29billion).
But his remarks drew immediate fire, both from within his own ranks and from the opposition.
Francois Bayrou, the head of the centrist Modem party, said Mr Fillon seemed to forget that both he and Nicolas Sarkozy, who was finance minister before becoming president, had been in government since 2002 without improving the situation.
He added that Mr Sarkozy's decision to spend up to €15billion (£10.5billion) on a package of tax cuts had only made things worse. One deputy from Mr Fillon's UMP party added: "This phrase was badly timed. The French are liable to ask why we committed all this spending on the fiscal package if we are in such a bad way."
It is the second time in two weeks that Mr Fillon has run into trouble over his tough-talking rhetoric.
The first came when he announced that he only needed "the word" from Mr Sarkozy to roll out a plan to enact state pension reforms, even before trade unions had begun negotiations. They called a strike for Oct 18.
This gaffe reportedly enraged Mr Sarkozy, who spent days reassuring the unions that they would be consulted.
There were rumours that Mr Fillon would be replaced in a reshuffle in the New Year. However, in an interview last week, the president showered his prime minister with praise, even describing the two men's views as "interchangeable".
Some observers say Mr Fillon has decided to speak out because he is tired of being stifled by the "hyper-president" and his media-friendly aides at the Elysee, and is keen to push ahead with reforms.
One colleague from the Sarthe region, where Mr Fillon is a deputy, said: "Fillon has immense pride. While Sarkozy continues to stifle him and wants to do everything, Fillon will try and give provocative speeches in order to exist. It's a process that could get out of control."
Others argue that his "spontaneous" outbursts are part of a co-ordinated double act, with Mr Fillon playing the tough guy and Mr Sarkozy the conciliator.
Either way, Le Monde praised Mr Fillon's "language of truth" in its editorial, adding that, given the parlous state of France's debt and deficit, he "had good cause for concern."
I suspect a Corsican government building will be visited by a manure spreader very soon.
I think it’s a reference to funds in a certain niche. I work for a French company and we are kicking but in international sales. Maybe the socialism products need to go away. :^)
“Well? Fix it, then!”
This could be scary.
I don’t know butt in francois’, but I do think it’ll be fine if you spell butt in English and include said reference to the posterior.
You probably could have typed “kicking ass” and would haven’t been chastised, banned, or even tickled by the Mods.
Oh, I’m glad you’re doing well. That is a serious comment. I do love the smell of capitalism in the morning.
When was the last time United States had a balanced budget?
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.”
—quote from unknown author often attributed to the fictitious “Alexander Tyler.”
Dude, I’m in Nashville and work for a very large French Company. LOL (get the ‘ville part)
Ok. BUTT
Maybe we could buy them.
Sure, my last name in francois means terrace.
Dispense with the “dude” street language, I’ve no reason to care about your residence, although, again, I’m pleased you and yours are doing well.
I have a name, here it is, Hilltop,in Italiano, el nomo es Miguel.
Soupha la mingia.
Capiche.
Ciao!
Ok dokie Mike.
Michael.
You are the weakest link.
Interesting. France seems to be doing some self introspection for a change. They realize that they need to deal with the Muslims and now they are realizing that they need to deal with their economy.
I do have a small disagreement in that "cutting taxes" as both Regan and Bush have shown does a lot to stimulate the economy rather than robbing socialist governments of their just due from the people in the form of taxes.
It is going to be interesting to watch how France does over the next few months. I think Airbus is in deep deep trouble, especially due to the dollar/Euro relationship and their earlier refusal to address the problem.
Thanks for bringing up a rememberance of stupid TV. :^) (you’re memory is quite especial!)
Did he roll his eyes skyward and give that world-famous 'French shrug' when he said it?
“French PM Fillon Tells Farmers ‘France Is Broke’”
From building a nuclear arsenal...
for the evenutal Islamic masters of The Islamic Republic of France?
I believe it was 1997
“Did he roll his eyes skyward and give that world-famous
‘French shrug’ when he said it?”
Like the existenial French assassin in that Kohler commercial...
(the one in which he gets smug when his partner realizes they can’t
tell where the back of the symmetrical designer Kohler toilet is...
thus they don’t know where to secrete the bomb.
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