A million march against French jobs plan

FRANCE: Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin came under intense pressure to withdraw or modify his "First Job Contract" (CPE) for young people last night after street protesters crossed the symbolic threshold of more than one million across France.

Police said 1,055,000 demonstrators marched in Paris, Lille, Rennes, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes and other towns and cities. Trade unions estimated the real figure to be closer to three million, but on one fact both agree: despite rainy weather, the number of protestors has doubled since March 18th.

Solidarity within the government has been one of the first casualties of the momentum in the protest movement. The interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr de Villepin's chief rival on the right, yesterday reiterated calls for the CPE to be suspended to make way for a period of dialogue. "The government is obliged to move," Mr Sarkozy said after police estimates of participation were announced last night.

President Jacques Chirac is expected to make a televised "solemn declaration" by the end of the week. Though the Élysée yesterday reaffirmed Mr Chirac's support for Mr de Villepin, there was grudging recognition of the size of the street demonstrations. Mr Chirac retains the prerogative of refusing to sign the CPE into law next month.

The constitutional council, which is due to announce its decision on the constitutionality of the law tomorrow might also provide the prime minister with a way out of his predicament.

"Withdraw, withdraw, withdraw," deputies heckled Mr de Villepin during questions to the government in the national assembly yesterday.

"Think only of France, of her interest, of her unity," said Jean-Marc Ayrault, the head of the socialist group. "Forget your pride. Make peace with the French."

The situation "is growing extremely dangerous," said Ségolène Royal, the most popular socialist politician. "Blindness taken to such a point is truly a poor performance in democracy," she added.

Having repeated his refusal to withdraw the CPE earlier in the day, Mr de Villepin replied angrily that "The Republic is not an ultimatum."

He had written to trade union leaders, inviting them to discuss the CPE at his Matignon office today, but "they refused the hand held out to them". Union leaders complained that Mr de Villepin did not call them individually. His failure to consult them before announcing the CPE on January 16th is often described as his first mistake in the crisis.

Bernard Thibault, the head of the communist CGT union which was strongly represented in yesterday's demonstrations, called the marches "a historic tidal wave", adding that the prime minister "is willing to talk once you say you accept his ultimatum".

Trade unions and student organisations are co-operating. "The unions are unanimous," said Julie Coudry, the president of the Student Confederation. "The prime minister must take account of a strong majority of public opinion which is against the CPE. If he remains inflexible, we'll continue."

Like Mr Sarkozy, the defence minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie - considered a possible replacement for de Villepin - has distanced herself from the CPE. "We must get out of this situation," she told Le Parisien newspaper.

"It's bad for France, for her economy. People who don't like us, in particular the Anglo-Saxon newspapers, take advantage of it to denigrate our image."

Foreign media coverage has concentrated on the violence that has accompanied the last three demonstrations.

More than 380 youths were arrested throughout France for mugging peaceful protesters or throwing stones and petrol bombs at riot police yesterday (Tues).

Yet the marches were less violent than feared. Police searched young people boarding trains from the suburbs to Paris, and 4,000 members of the security forces were deployed to maintain order along the demonstration route.