Even after surviving the confidence vote, Mr. Necas might not have enough support to pass unpopular measures, including raising the value added tax by one percentage point, raising income taxes and slowing down increases in state pensions.
Just this week, moreover, the government raised the value added tax across a vast array of goods and services from 17.5 percent to a record 20 percent, provoking a stampede of last-minute consumption before the increase took effect.
Still, with the economic problems facing France, and Mr. Sarkozy's recent attempt to raise the valued add tax, Sarkozy The Candidate may find it hard to distance himself from Sarkozy The President.
Stiff battles were expected over proposals to freeze salaries, raise the value-added tax and to cut various benefits, including special entitlements for large families.
The bank policy makers met June 9 and 10, before Mr. Osborne announced his proposal Tuesday to raise the value-added tax.
Mr. Sarkozy cited the German example to justify his latest proposals to reduce payroll taxes and raise the value-added tax on consumption instead.
In an effort to curb inflation, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's government rescinded previous plans to raise the value-added tax (VAT) by 1%.
Attempts to raise the value-added tax in Japan have failed in the past, along with governments that made them, but a doubling of the V.A.T., called the Japan Consumption Tax, was approved in August.
Mr. Chávez also announced that he no longer saw a need to raise the value-added tax, an idea he had proposed as a way to help finance reconstruction efforts after severe floods.
He wants to allow more part-time work, like the Germans, and to subsidize more jobs for youth and raise the value-added tax to reduce the cost of social-welfare charges for employers, as the Germans do, too.
Greece is refusing to acquiesce to demands by its creditors that it cut payments to the elderly and raise the value-added tax on their medicine and electricity.
