Chirac warns centre-right rebels of 'punishment at the ballot box'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.President Jacques Chirac last night came to the aid of his beleaguered Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, threatening his centre-right supporters in parliament with "electoral consequences" if they failed to support the government.
In a sometimes shaky and muddled appearance on prime-time television, M. Chirac rejected the possibility of a change of government before the presidential and parliamentary elections next year.
After just over a year in office, M. de Villepin has been weakened to the point of powerlessness by a series of scandals, rock-bottom opinion polls and an incipient revolt within the ruling centre-right party, the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP).
M. Chirac, subjected to an unusually tough interview on the France 2 evening TV news, dismissed these problems as pre-electoral "bubbling" and the "fantasies" of journalists. He reaffirmed his support for M. de Villepin, who he said had successfully boosted growth and reduced unemployment.
M. Chirac dismissed once again suggestions that he and M. de Villepin had attempted to manipulate false allegations of financial corruption against the rising power on the French centre-right, the Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy.
He refused to endorse the almost certain candidature of M. Sarkozy for next year's presidential elections, but gave his former protégé some faint praise for his work to restore law and order as Interior Minister.
It would make no sense to change the government with less than a year before elections, M. Chirac said. It would take three months for a new prime minister to find his feet and that would mean that "in effect we would lose a year".
He warned centre-right members of the national assembly that they would face "electoral consequences" if they failed to support the government.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments