Contrat Première Embauche

   , CPE

   The CPE was introduced by the Villepin government in 2006, in an attempt to reduce France's high levels of youth unemployment. It created a new form of work contract for young people, with less guarantees of job security than normal French work contracts. Left-wing student unions, encouraged by opposition parties, protested vigorously against the new contract, calling it discriminatory against youth, and an attack on the acquired social rights of employees. It was portrayed as a contract by which employers would be free to sack young employees without reason. In scenes reminiscent of 1968 (seesoixante-huit), students closed down a number of universities and set up barricades. After initially refusing to give in, the government eventually decided to scrap the CPE which by the, according to opinion polls, had become a very unpopular plan.