Villepin vows not to back down as unions threaten strike over French jobs plan

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2006

PARIS (AFP) — French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin vowed not to back down on his contested youth jobs plan, the day after violent protests and as union leaders threatened to call a general strike.

Villepin called for giving his controversial First Employment Contract (CPE) "a chance", while adding that he "regretted" it was misunderstood.

"We must give the CPE a chance. A CPE completed and improved to answer everyone's concerns," Villepin said following Saturday's protests in an interview with the youth magazine Citato, which will appear this week.

Meanwhile union and student leaders had given Villepin an ultimatum of Monday afternoon to withdraw the CPE, which on Saturday brought out hundreds of thousands of opponents to the streets of Paris and...