France's divisive economy minister has once again made waves among Socialists by criticising the country's sacrosanct 35-hour week just as the ruling party gathers for its annual conference, reports Yahoo! News.
Emmanuel Macron, a 37-year-old former investment banker whose appointment last year created a stir among the leftist rebel rump of the party, told a gathering of business leaders that those on the left were not "exempt from criticism."
"A long time ago, the left believed... that France would be better off if people worked less. That was a wrong idea," he said Thursday, in a thinly-veiled criticism of the 35-hour law introduced under the government of former Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.
Supporters say the flagship policy of the French left creates jobs by limiting the amount of time employees are allowed to work, thereby encouraging companies to take on more staff.
But critics at home and abroad say it is an inflexible law that hampers business and creates a bloated workforce.
Socialist leaders were quick to bring Macron back into line Friday, just as the annual party conference opened in the western coastal city of La Rochelle.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the 35-hour week would not be reformed.