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 in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 France chose their entry through a national final consisting of 10 performers selected by French television broadcasters. Successful French acts of the past five years were invited to compete for a trip to Helsinki, with emphasis put on more contemporary musical styles. Finally, Les Fatals Picards were chosen as the French representatives for 2007. The French entry finished joint 22nd in the contest with the United Kingdom, with 19 points. As a member of the Big Four, France automatically qualified to compete in final held in May 12. Les Fatals Picards was drawn