Press Interpreter

03/19/06 -- After the CPE* opponents' newest show of force on Saturday, Dominique de Villepin still seemed determined not to back down on Sunday despite the ultimatum of the unions, which are calling on Jacques Chirac and are starting to raise the specter of a multi-industry strike.

On the strength of a mobilization of 530,000 to 1.5 million people — which is at least a third more than on March 7 — unions, student and high school organizations, and other opposition called on the prime minister [Villepin] to opt for "reason" and not "stubbornness." If the prime minister hasn't fully explained his cause this weekend, he could clarify his intentions on Monday when he meets with business leaders and young people, some of whom are opposed to the CPE. He appears to be resolute in sticking to his credo: not giving up an inch of land at the baseline all while calling for dialogue to move towards settlements, for now rather insignificant — they wouldn't concern the probation period of two years, nor dismissals without cause.

In a discussion with the young people's monthly Citato, coming out this week, Dominique de Villepin rules out any withdrawal of the CPE, which "has to be given its chance," but he "regrets" that his "method" has incited "misunderstanding."

"We have to give the CPE a chance! A fulfilled CPE, improved to respond to everyone's concerns," declares the prime minister, without any more details on agreements, in the magazine targeted at 15 - 20 year olds. "On my part, I'm convinced that (the CPE) will prevail, that it will create new jobs, just as the CNE has created tens of thousands of new jobs," the head of the government reasserted.

[This was] an extended hand [sic] that was ridiculed by the unions, which accuse Mr. de Villepin of gazing "without doing anything" at the "fire" he has started and demanding that he retract the CPE on Monday, threatening to call a strike if he doesn't. Bernard Thibault, the secretary general of the CGT, intends to propose "a day of work-stoppage in the next few days," believing that "the conditions are ripe to make it happen." On their part, the high school students of the FIDL have announced another day of protest on the 23rd. Further, the president of Unef, Bruno Julliard, remarked on Sunday that there was "no risk" that the movement "will subside, since there are still sizable bodies of support at both the high school and university levels." The unions announced that they would be conferencing at 5:00 p.m. Monday at CFTC headquarters.

[Remaining text untranslated; complete article and footnotes forthcoming]

(with AFP)

--Translated by Chris Drake