had succeeded Jacques Chaban-Delmas, who after May 1968 had a "new society project" aiming to modernize France. This included social measures, although Giscard d'Estaing and the ministers supported economic liberalism. Although at first the CNE said that "no motive" had to be given during the first two years, a Conseil d'Etat ruling in October 2005 imposed such a motive in litigation. If a plaintiff (employee) alleges they have been fired due to discrimination based on religion, political opinion, physical disability, age or sexual orientation, the Conseil d'Etat ruled to reverse the burden of proof to the employer's side. For other claims, the burden of proof remains on the employee side. Avoiding the risk of court procedures is a key issue behind the CNE. With the similar CPE contract discussions, opponents (unions and opposition leaders) have supported the reversal of burden of proof to the employer in all employment cases. Support Improvement through flexibility According to Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, easier firing would make small companies less reluctant to hire new employees. This idea is not new; employers and economists have been asking for more flexibility, and consider that globalization makes protective labour law unaffordable. "The issue of flexibility must be addressed, and quickly", said the leader of CGPME (France's association of SMEs) and Laurence Parisot, leader of MEDEF (France's major employers' union). MEDEF and CGPME expected the government to push for stronger reforms. The two-year period gives flexibility to small companies, who will be able to hire without the probation-period deadline of long-term contracts. The "no justification" clause is a key issue, since "employers often also argue that the tribunal is heavily prejudiced in favour of the employee". The CNE is in line with International Monetary Fund (IMF) advice to "introduce flexibility in the French labour market", and the IMF called CNEs a "first step" towards reform. After the First Employment Contract was discontinued, a survey showed that 57 percent of small employers feared that the CNE might also be scrapped. Improved flexibility, reduced unemployment The prime minister claimed that the CNE was a "necessary measure" to tackle unemployment, since "one third of those recruited would not have found jobs [without the CNE]". Nearly 500,000 CNEs have been signed, according to Dominique de Villepin in May 2006, demonstrating that small businesses favor the contract. According to supporters, the CNE's primary advantage is the creation of jobs which would not