No Christmas holidays for François Hollande
The office of François Hollande says the French President will not be taking Christmas holidays this year.
Issued on: Modified:
Instead, Hollande, in his first term as President, “will spend all his time in Paris and work everyday”, the Elysée Palace says.
Hollande has told his ministers to remain “present and alert” during the holiday period after telling the French public that 2013 will be a “difficult” year for the nation.
With a stagnating economy, record unemployment, and sluggish growth predicted for 2013, Hollande and his ministers are keen to show the public the government is working hard to turn the country around.
The President was heavily criticised in the French press for taking two weeks of summer holidays in August.
The interior minister, Manuel Valls, the education minister, Vincent Peillon, and the economic minister, Pierre Moscovici, will also say behind and work in the capital.
Meanwhile, the minister for industrial renewal, Arnaud Montebourg, who has been at the forefront of the government’s efforts to boost French productivity, already has plans for New Year's Eve.
He will visit an industrial site.
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