French elections: Nicolas Sarkozy vs. Francois Hollande
Nicolas Sarkozy
• Will balance French finances by 2016.
• Promises to call national referendums on compulsory training for the long-term unemployed and how to deal with illegal immigrants.
• In a bid to shed his reputation for favoring the rich, he promises to tax dividend income, apply a minimum 15% tax on major French corporations and introduce a levy for tax exiles who seek refuge abroad.
• To curb the excesses of the financial industry, Nicolas Sarkozy promises tougher regulation on banks and the introduction of a financial transaction tax.
• Plans to raise VAT to fund a reduction in social charges for employers and lower the cost of labor.
• Wants to halve the number of foreigners entering the country legally each year and increase deportations of illegal immigrants. Conditions for obtaining French papers and benefits will be tightened – Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to suspend France’s membership of Europe’s visa-free Schengen zone unless he sees progress on EU external border controls.
• Threatens to impose unilateral trade restrictions in public procurement unless the EU introduces “buy European” legislation within a year.
• Backs nuclear power but says renewable energy will make up 23% of power supply by 2020.
• In the wake of shootings by gunman Mohamed Merah, Nicolas Sarkozy proposes making it an offence to access jihadist websites that glorify killing and to go abroad for jihadist indoctrination.
• Nicolas Sarkozy opposes gay marriage and euthanasia.
François Hollande
• Will balance French finances by 2017.
• Opposes a financial policy based only on austerity and has promised to renegotiate the European fiscal compact to include provisions on jobs and growth.
• His deficit-reduction measures include reversing tax breaks for the wealthy. Promises to target the rich with a 75% tax rate on those earning more than €1 million a year and a 45% tax rate for those earning more than €150,000. He plans to limit executive pay to 20 times the average wage and cut the president’s salary.
• Has outlined €20 billion of new spending over five years, including creating 150,000 state-aided jobs to tackle youth unemployment, 60,000 posts in education and more police jobs.
• Will restore the right to retire at 60 for those who began work at 18.
• Promises to fight discrimination with sanctions for companies failing to offer equal pay, the creation of a ministry of women’s rights and the allocation of half the ministerial posts in his cabinet to women.
• Wants to curb financial excess by: separating retail and investment banking and imposing a financial transaction tax; banning toxic financial products and stock options; curbing bonuses; creating a European ratings agency; and stopping banks operating in offshore tax havens.
• Supports the creation of a public investment bank to support small businesses.
• He wants to reduce the share of nuclear energy in the power supply to 50% from 75% by 2025, and promises to close the ageing Fessenheim nuclear plant but complete work on the advanced Flamanville European pressurized reactor power station.
• Will allow gay marriage and adoption for gay couples.