PARIS -(Dow Jones)- The French government will pursue its planned reforms despite its recent regional election setback, spokesman Luc Chatel said Sunday during an interview on French television.
"The majority of French voters say that we need to continue," Chatel said.
In an interview published in French newspaper Journal du Dimanche, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said the government plans to press ahead with a reform of the country's pension system and cut public spending in its next budget in a bid to reduce its high debt level.
Chatel confirmed that the government will continue to reduce the number of posts in the civil service by replacing only one civil servant out of two.
He noted that 100,000 civil servants haven't been replaced since 2007.
Despite shelving plans on a tax on carbon dioxide emissions, the government will press ahead with its environmental policies, Chatel said.
Another priority for the government will be to work with companies on improving competitiveness and reducing taxes for enterprises, he added.
Copyright 2009 Dow Jones Newswires
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