In any case calls to strike for Tuesday April 4 poured yesterday

The Constitutional Council validated yesterday without reserve of interpretation the Act on equality of opportunity, and therefore the first contract hires, which had been introduced by a Government amendment. This throws the hypothesis of a sanction of the text, which dreamed some anxious minds of the majority to emerge certainly shockingly of this interminable crisis on PBS. The Act validated, the ball is now in the camp of Jacques Chirac, who will speak tonight at 20 hours in a broadcast allocation.

Despite growing pressure from trade unions, youth and the left, the line of firmness argued by Dominique de Villepin appeared yesterday evening still hold the rope. The head of State could even to promulgate the act very quickly, this evening or tomorrow morning. The Prime Minister received breakfast yesterday a dozen of his ministers, who reported the status of "serenity" in which he was, as confident that the President was not about to disavow the. Jacques Chirac, mopped it is true by the unpopularity of his Prime Minister (read page 16), "what dominates, it is the concern not to open a political crisis at the top of the State, reported one of the hosts of Matignon, and does not disavow his majority which voted the equal opportunities Act.

A new initiative

Any suspension or questioning the Act by a new deliberation would be indeed experienced by Dominique de Villepin as a repudiation of and could lead to his resignation he insists since three weeks that it is "undemocratic to return on a law of the Republic". Indeed, the word "withdrawal" does not exist in the Constitution and a suspension of the SCE is "human power", insisted yesterday in the Senate, Jean-Louis Borloo, Minister of social cohesion, which has hardly yet hidden his discomfort with the inflexibility of the Prime Minister.

"Choose to end the political crisis rather than to the social crisis" This is what began in private distilling relatives of Nicolas Sarkozy, but the President of the Republic should launch a new initiative to try finally to resume the dialogue with the unions. According to some of its relatives, it may ask the Government to take the issue of young people to raise their concerns. The "States General of youth" or a "round table social employment" could be organized in the aftermath, in reference to the two days of negotiations that had led Georges Pompidou in full may 68. Jacques Chirac may even, according to some sources, to commit to that of the solutions adopted by the social partners can eventually, at the end of this negotiation, substitute in whole or in part to the SCE. But the management of this round of discussions would be returned to the Government, the head of State being anxious not to expose too. The Elysee would work on another track to give a concrete translation to the comment made yesterday by the Constitutional Council concerning the justification of the reasons for dismissal for use (see below).

Are such openings to settle the social tension It is the bet of the Executive. But as early as last night, trade unions and the left have been hear any other tone, taking the view that the promulgation of the Act, regardless of the other proposals that would be made to them, would be a "provocation." François Chérèque (CFDT) was the first to prevent it would be "unacceptable." The head of State can at the time still change of scenario Some evoked the possibility late last night on these reactions. In any case, calls to strike for Tuesday April 4 poured yesterday. Youth have multiplied the fist actions. For the time being, social crisis seems far, far away, to be at an end.