FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy’s tough talk on Gypsies and immigrants faced a fierce backlash yesterday, drawing fire from the right, the left and the Catholic Church while failing to boost him in the polls.

President Jacques Chirac sought to defuse one of the biggest crises of his 11-year presidency by offering to soften a new type of job contract that has sparked furious protests because it would make firings easier.

The French would approve the EU constitution if the referendum scheduled for May 29 were held today, but the numbers of those opposed are rising, a poll to be published tomorrow suggests.