Jacques Chirac, the French president, on Monday said the controversial labour reforms that have brought millions of people on to the streets in demonstations and prompted nationwide strikes, would be replaced by a new plan focusing on helping young people “in difficulty”.

Mr Chirac and Dominique de Villepin, his prime minister, had been expected to revise the reforms after taking advice from the parliamentary heads of their ruling UMP party on Monday morning, according to a senior figure at one ministry.