New Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin aims to restore the confidence of the French people in his first 100 days in office, a senator quoted him as telling members of the upper house of parliament on Wednesday. Villepin met senators one day after President Jacques Chirac appointed him to try to restore national unity following France's rejection of the European Union constitution. Senator Roger Karoutchi quoted Villepin as saying: "I give myself 100 days to restore the confidence of the French people." High unemployment and a general feeling of discontent were top of the list of reasons given by "No" voters for rejecting the treaty on Sunday, according to a report of Reuters. Chirac said on Tuesday that reducing job insecurity and unemployment would be a top priority for Villepin.
