The respected right wing Spanish newspaper El Mundo has named Manuel Valls, the French prime minister, as its Man of the Year. In an interview Valls outlines his intention to continue to reduce public spending and promote growth. Wanting to preserve the French model at the same time will mean a number of years of sacrifice for the French people, but Valls is adamant that to loosen the belt just when growth is returning would be to lose all that had been gained.
Despite the President's unpopularity, Valls is often seen as the most likely left winger to succeed him. The prime minister would make no comment on this in his interview, saying that the French people would lose confidence in him if he was talking about a different job when he already has this task to complete.
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