France - postal service privatisation

Two million vote in unofficial post privatisation poll, most say no

Article published on the 2009-10-05 Latest update 2009-10-05 12:13 TU

A voter casts a ballot in Toulouse, 3 October 2009
(Photo: Remy Gabalda/AFP)

More than 90 per cent of the two million people who took part in an unofficial citizens' poll this week in France voted against privatising the postal service, according to the group of unions, left-wing parties and community groups that organised the vote. The government has said it will not scrap the plan but the opposition Socialists want an official referendum.

Referendum campaigners want the plan put on hold after 2,123,717 people took part in the vote.

They answered the question: "The government wants to change the status of the La Poste [the postal service] to privatise it, do you agree with the project?"

“Over 90 per cent voted no,”  according to Jean Souleil, spokesperson of the National Committee Against the Privatisation of the Post (CNPP). The committee will now discuss what to do next, he said.

Another spokesperson, Nicolas Galepides, said Sunday that the committee will call for the “suspension of the project and the opening of a large public debate, in a forum yet to be determined.”

The French government, which plans to turn the French postal service into a shareholding company at the start of 2010, and open it up to competition in the European market by 2011, has played down the poll.

“No doubt, there will be 99 per cent against it,” Minister of Industry Christian Estrosi sneered on Saturday.

While this was an unofficial poll, French law does allow a citizen referendum to be called by one-fifth of MPs, supported by one-tenth of registered voters, some 4.5 million people.

The Socialist Party announced Saturday that it would propose a popular referendum in parliament by mid-October.