Sarkozy opts for union man

François Fillon, appointed French Prime Minister yesterday, will use his years of experience dealing with trade unions to try and push through the ambitious reforms of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mr Fillon, the 53-year-old son of a provincial lawyer, was hot favourite for the job after masterminding Mr Sarkozy's slick election campaign.

With a reputation as a firm but safe pair of hands, Mr Fillon's ministerial career has involved working closely with the powerful unions, making him a natural choice to spearhead changes to the labour code and generous pensions system.

Mr Fillon has his roots in the social wing of the ruling conservative party and was loyal to former President Jacques Chirac for many years.

Mr Sarkozy fell out with Mr Chirac in 1995, long before Mr Fillon did, and the new President's abrupt manner led Le Monde newspaper to describe the pair, who have become jogging partners, as "fire and water".

Mr Chirac sacked Mr Fillon as education minister in a Cabinet reshuffle after voters rejected the European Union constitution in 2005. Mr Fillon acidly remarked "no one will remember anything of Chirac but my reforms," referring to pension reform and the loosening of the 35-hour work week for which he is best known.

Mr Fillon served as a deputy in Sarthe - an area west of Paris famous for the Le Mans car race of which he is a big fan - for 12 years before taking up his first ministerial position. His wife Penelope is Welsh and he speaks fluent English.

In 1993 he became minister for higher education and research in the government of Edouard Balladur. He quickly had to face students angry at a law cutting wages for young people in job training that Mr Balladur withdrew after months of protests.

He moved to the information technology and postal services ministry in 1995 and started overseeing the liberalisation of telecoms services including the privatisation of France Telecom.

Mr Fillon was demoted to junior telecommunications minister after several months because the plan angered unions but he laid the groundwork for the privatisation to go ahead in 1997.

Mr Fillon returned to his region before being recalled to the government by Mr Chirac in 2002. Some commentators say he missed out on the Prime Minister's job after refusing to take a call from the President on his mobile phone during mass.

He was named social affairs minister instead and led bruising battles over reform of the pensions system and 35-hour working week, making him a hate figure for some on the left.

He became education minister in 2004 when he had the task of defusing tension in schools after the government banned the traditional headscarves worn by some Muslim women.

Admirers say one of Mr Fillon's strongest qualities is that he has always shown himself open to negotiation with unions, an asset Mr Sarkozy will need if his reforms are to succeed.

Unions have already warned Mr Sarkozy that he does not have carte blanche to ram through changes despite his comprehensive victory in the May 6 presidential run-off ballot.

Mr Fillon will be aware that the reputation of his predecessor, Dominique de Villepin, waned when violent protests across France forced a humiliating climbdown over a change to the labour code he had tried to push through.