President Nicolas Sarkozy will lose no time in pushing forward with an ambitious programme of tax cuts and labour market reforms, using his solid centre-right majority in parliament to shake up the French economy.

Styling himself as a hands-on president working in tandem with a like-minded prime minister, François Fillon, Mr Sarkozy will put parliament to work as soon as it convenes on June 26 to rush through his flagship legislation before the August holidays.