France's students and trade unions are preparing for a victory parade today to mark the demise of a hated youth jobs law.
French President Jacques Chirac: forced to back down on jobs law
The opponents of the First Job Contract (CPE), whose five previous protests mobilised millions across the country, vowed to keep up their guard until new measures to replace the "easy hire, easy fire" law for young workers have been passed.
Today's nationwide rallies will be the first test of sentiment after President Jacques Chirac said yesterday the CPE would be replaced by measures to help disadvantaged young people find work.
The marches were due to start in the early afternoon.
"We are calling for the pressure to be kept up until parliament votes the repeal of the CPE, including by blocking universities if necessary," said Unef students' union head Bruno Julliard.
Unions refrained from calling for fresh strikes and some universities, including the protest centre at Rennes in western France, voted to reopen classes with Easter holidays and spring examinations fast approaching.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who emerged strengthened after his rival Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin was forced to withdraw the law, argued that the government's flip-flop did not mean Paris could not pass needed but unpopular changes.
"I don't think the French refuse reforms," he told Europe 1 radio. "The French accept change but always want to be assured that it is fair. They found these proposals unfair."
But Mr Sarkozy admitted there was little leeway for change in the twilight of Jacques Chirac's 12-year presidency: "You don't reform the same way at the end of an administration as you do at the beginning."
The crisis has shredded Mr Villepin's authority, all but killed off his undeclared presidential ambitions, temporarily united the fractious leftwing opposition and split the ruling Union for a Popular Movement.