There's no doubting the scale of the economic problems facing Nicholas Sarkozy. France's unemployment rate hasn't fallen below 8 percent in a quarter of a century and its economic growth rate during 2006 was the slowest of any nation in the European Union, except Portugal. But the new President has promised change.

He wants to make it easier for businesses to hire and fire workers. Anyone who rejects a job offer will lose their unemployment benefit. The civil service will be slimmed down to help fund big tax cuts for both businesses and individuals. And any time the French work above the thirty-five hour week will be completely tax free.



These measures won't go down well with trade unions - who in the past have organised campaigns of open defiance to force French presidents with plans for painful reform to back down. But Mr. Sarkozy has made it an election pledge that unions will no longer be able to bring the country to a standstill. Workers in key areas like public transport will face new requirements to provide minimum levels of service even during strikes. The unions may not like it - but the new President's entire programme of reform depends on his winning any standoff.

a quarter of a century

twenty-five years - a century is one hundred years



hire and fire

employ and sack or dismiss from a job, e.g. because of poor work, bad behaviour or lack of money within the business



unemployment benefit

money that's paid to people to live on until they find a job



slimmed down

reduced, here, made up of a smaller number of people



won't go down well

will not be popular, seen as positive, easily accepted



open defiance

obvious disobedience, very public refusals to cooperate



to back down

to change their minds, discontinue their plans



to bring the country to a standstill

to completely stop the country from functioning normally



reform

planned changes for improvement



standoff

a tense time during which all negotiations have come to a stop and neither side will compromise

• 6小时掌握学英语的秘诀！——点击看答案
• 专治男女记不住单词的秘密