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French economy minister says receiving menaces over reforms

Xinhua, February 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron on Monday said "certain public officials" threatened him over controversial reforms that he proposed to unblock feeble economy in the eurozone's second largest power.

Speaking at the National Assembly, Macron said he had received threats from public and ministerial officers who refused his series of laws to bolster the domestic growth, adding he had filed a complaint over the death menaces.

With the controversial "Law on Growth and Activity," the 37-year-old ex-banker wants to let shops open up to 12 Sundays a year from five currently, with more flexibility on opening hours in tourist zones.

He also eyes to open long-distance bus routes and closed professions such as notaries to greater competition, a proposal that triggered notarial lawyers' demonstration.

Under fire on failure to honor its financial promises, the government wants, with pro-growth laws, to avoid sanctions that the European Union (EU) could impose if Paris failed to rein in its wide budget deficit, quicken growth and trim unemployment rate currently at 9.9 percent.

Having already won an extra two years from 2013 to put its finances in order, France promised EU partners to bring its deficit back into line by 2017. Endit