French transportation expected to halt

Strikes slated to begin Wednesday will disrupt flights to and from France, train routes through Europe and leave Paris virtually stripped of public transportation as workers protest plans to trim some retirement packages.

The strikes, to last at least through Thursday, present popular French President Nicolas Sarkozy with his first real challenge since taking office in May and are meant to send a warning that deeper cuts may come at a cost.

Sarkozy is facing a number of challenges simultaneously as the economy continues to lag, despite his pledges to invigorate it, and signs of discord arise within his own party over the president's policies.

His rocky marriage is front-page news.

The president himself appeared unfazed, saying Tuesday night he would push through benefits changes regardless of public protest because "That's what I was elected for."

A union leader threatened more strikes if the government did not negotiate further.

While French strikes are famously common, the country has not had any serious labor strife since Sarkozy took office. This week's action could be the biggest in years.

Labor leaders hope the walkout will be reminiscent of 1995 strikes that paralyzed the country and sapped then-President Jacques Chirac's appetite for labor confrontations.

Sarkozy will be out of country at an EU summit in Portugal on Thursday while tens of millions of commuters will likely struggle to get to work and school.

The Paris transport authority RATP said traffic would be "virtually nil" on most of its lines, and "nearly paralyzed" on the national rail network.

Eurostar trains to London and connections to neighboring countries also will be disrupted.

Transit workers initiated the strikes, but employees of state-run electricity, gas and other services may also take part.

Most teachers were not planning to strike, but some schools were expected to close because of transport difficulties.

Air travel may also be disrupted, according to civil aviation authorities, particularly early in the day if administrative and airport personnel cannot get to work.

The strikes could seep into Friday. Three train federations were calling for a daily vote on whether to extend the strikes.

The pension plans under threat, which cover workers at an array of different companies and institutions, were originally devised to give advantages to those in physically demanding jobs.

Workers covered by the special pensions are able to retire earlier and on more generous terms than the vast majority of the French working population.

Sarkozy, who pledged changes to France's labor protections during his election campaign earlier this year, deems the benefits too costly, outdated and unfair.

Labor Minister Xavier Bertrand said Wednesday that the reforms were "indispensable."

The head of the CGT union, Bernard Thibault, urged the government to start "real negotiation" over the retirement benefits or face more strikes, according to an interview with Le Monde published Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Sarkozy is facing dissent within his own UMP party. UMP lawmakers are split over plans for a DNA test for immigrants and have bristled at hints he will open his government to more opposition Socialists.

The economic outlook offers little inspiration. Public deficits are widening even as forecasts for French growth shrink to 1.8 percent, less than the 2 percent to 2.5 percent the government had targeted.

On a personal level, a respected newsweekly reported Wednesday that Sarkozy and his wife, Cecilia, have informed a judge they are separating. The president's office would not comment on the report, which comes after weeks of such rumors.