Protesting French power workers cut off former PM’s supply

ELECTRICITY workers cut power to a former French prime minister yesterday as part of a national day of action against government plans to partly privatise public utilities.

Power to the Bordeaux home of Alain Juppe, a prime minister in the 1990s who now heads President Jacques Chirac’s party, was shut off overnight.

The homes of other figures, including the head of France’s leading business federation, also suffered.

The shows of anger came as parliament was to open debate on the conservative government’s plans to turn Electricite de France and Gaz de France, the public power and gas suppliers, known as EDF and GDF, into limited companies.

Ministers say this will allow the firms to welcome private investors, giving them funds with which to defend themselves in a European energy market being opened up to competition.

It insists that the utilities will not be fully privatised and that the state will hold the majority stake.

But energy workers backed by powerful trade unions and the opposition parties fear that opening the door to outside investment will ultimately put utilities in private hands, threatening their jobs and pensions.

Government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope said that the administration would not back down “under any circumstances.”