French PM pays the price
French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has paid the price for Sunday’s ‘no’ vote and resigned.
Popular interior minister Dominique de Villepin, a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, has been appointed the new prime minister.
Mr Raffarin’s resignation is likely to be the start of a dramatic cabinet reshuffle as President Jacques Chirac attempts to respond to French dissatisfaction with the government.
The 55 per cent ‘non’ vote is thought to be as much a rejection of the EU treaty as a protest against the government’s failure to tackle unemployment, currently standing at ten per cent.
In a BVA poll this month, Mr Chirac’s approval rating dropped to an eight-year low of 39 per cent, while Mr Raffarin’s was 21 per cent – the lowest since taking office three years ago.
Mr de Villepin is a close ally of Mr Chirac’s but is said to command little support within the centre-right UMP party, in part due to the fact that he has never stood for elected office.
The former foreign minister was appointed interior minister in March 2004 and as part of a crackdown on Islamic militancy imposed tighter security controls and required France’s imams to take courses on the country’s language, laws and customs.
Today’s political reshuffle in France comes the day before the Netherlands goes to the polls on the EU referendum. Polls suggest they are also likely to reject the treaty.
