President Nicolas Sarkozy triggered a backlash from his centre-right party this week after his government agreed to tax savers and investors to fund a new welfare benefit for the poor.

Senior figures in the governing UMP party openly criticised the president’s plan to raise €1.5bn ($2.1bn, £1.2bn) a year, saying it contradicted the president’s promises to reduce the tax burden and would hit many of the centre-right’s natural supporters.