Blair: balance between freedom and justice

The new centre-right French prime minister has given his backing to Tony Blair's policy of "economic freedom".

Speaking after a breakfast meeting with Blair, Jean-Pierre Raffarin said the UK's Labour government was striking an "interesting balance between economic dynamism and social justice".

The new French leader praised the prime minister for adopting a policy which "is undoubtedly one of the routes which Europe is taking today".

He also used the Downing Street meeting to press Blair to toughen up the UK's asylum laws.

Raffarin told the prime minister that the UK is seen as a soft touch by many asylum seekers and stressed that the closure of the Sangatte refugee camp would only be successful if the UK toughened its own policies.

Whilst France has agreed a timetable for the closure of the controversial refugee camp at Sangatte, the French administration believes that the UK must act domestically if the underlying problem is to be addressed.

The camp, located close to the channel tunnel terminal, has been a source of some tension between the French and British governments.

Raffarin was appointed French prime minister following Lionel Jospin's shock first round defeat in the French presidential elections earlier this year.