French President Jacques Chirac told his new government to launch an offensive to boost economic growth and create jobs to satisfy angry voters following a crushing regional election defeat.
Ministers said Mr Chirac set out a new economic "road map" at the cabinet's first meeting since a reshuffle last Wednesday, but they did not say how France would stick to European Union deficit reduction targets while boosting growth.
"Be on the offensive on jobs and growth", government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope quoted Mr Chirac as saying.
He said Mr Chirac had also underlined the need to heed the message of discontent that voters sent in last week's regional election and acknowledge their demands for "social justice" - which in France usually means protecting existing social welfare benefits.
"It is up to you to respond clearly and decisively to this demand for justice," Mr Cope quoted Mr Chirac as saying.
The president went on television on Thursday to explain the reshuffle, but faced fresh accusations on Friday that he had made no real policy changes and was trying to push blame for the defeat onto the unpopular prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
Mr Chirac said in a television interview he had heard the voters' message and the government would fight unemployment and promote growth while continuing to cut taxes.
However, an opinion poll whilch appeared in Saturday's Le Parisien daily showed 58 per cent of voters were not convinced by his interview, compared to 39 per cent who were. Sixty-one per cent were unconvinced by the new-look cabinet. His "social justice" message won over 47 per cent but failed to move 46 per cent.
Economic analysts are also sceptical, asking how France can boost growth, create jobs and promote social welfare at the same time as reducing its public deficit to within EU limits.
France has broken the EU public deficit limit of three per cent of gross domestic product for two successive years, and will do so again this year, but says it will meet the target in 2005.
Mr Chirac said in the television interview that Mr Raffarin's last cabinet had made mistakes. Left-wing leaders, buoyed by their landslide victory in the regional elections, said Mr Chirac had conveniently forgotten his own role in France's problems.
"He's been there (in power) for several years and he bears the main responsibility for the situation. He has become an expert in the art of amnesia," former Socialist prime minister Laurent Fabius told Le Parisien newspaper.
Mr Chirac promoted his popular interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, to take over as finance minister in last Wednesday's shake-up of the government, in the hope that he can be more successful than Mr Raffarin in pushing through reforms.
He switched Dominique de Villepin from the foreign ministry to the interior ministry to be a counterweight to the ambitious and powerful Sarkozy. Either could become prime minister if Mr Raffarin continues to struggle.
Mr Chirac expressed readiness to consult with the left-wing opposition on a proposed healthcare reform, and said a plan to cut certain benefits for the long-term unemployed would be scrapped. But he outlined no major policy shifts.
"The basic policy that was challenged by voters has not been changed and that will cause problems in the months to come," said Julien Dray, the Socialist Party's spokesman.
Public anger over unemployment, pension reform and budget cuts has already provoked protests and could easily prompt more.