November 2007 strikes in France retire with full pension benefits after 37.5 years rather than 40 years. The Sarkozy administration claims the current pension system allows some public sector workers to retire as early as age 50. The government calculated the cost of these early-retirement benefits at $7 billion a year. President Nicolas Sarkozy felt that his victory in the 2007 presidential election gave him a mandate to carry out labour reforms, stating "I said before I was elected what I would do," and "we will do these reforms because they have to be done." He declared the strikes a test of political will. "I
France at the 1980 Summer Olympics France at the 1980 Summer Olympics France competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR. In partial support of the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, France competed under the Olympic Flag instead of its national flag. 121 competitors, 98 men and 23 women, took part in 85 events in 13 sports. Men's 100 metres Men's 200 metres Men's 800 metres Men's 1,500 metres Men's Marathon Men's 4x400 metres Relay Men's 50 km Walk Men's High Jump Men's Long Jump Men's Triple Jump Men's Pole Vault Women's 100 metres Women's 100 m Hurdles Women's Pentathlon Men's Bantamweight (–