FRANCE’S Socialist party yesterday accused Nicolas Sarkozy of suffering from “small man syndrome”, saying this explained why the shorter-than-average president had proclaimed his reforms the biggest in decades.

The Socialists, who suffered a double defeat in presidential and parliamentary elections have sharply criticised pension, social and civil service reforms announced this week.

Referring to Mr Sarkozy’s comments on Thursday that he was preparing “the biggest reform of the social model since the Liberation [of France]”, Socialist spokesman Benoit Hamon said: “In psychoanalysis, this is the syndrome of the small man, who considers that everything he does is bigger than anything that has ever happened,” he told reporters.

“In reality, we have never witnessed such a step backwards since the Liberation. On the social issue, as well as on immigration,” he said.

French media calculate Mr Sarkozy is about 5ft 5in - more than 7in shorter than his predecessor, Jacques Chirac.

He wears shoes with particularly high heels, and is lampooned on TV for trying to seem taller.

On Thursday, Mr Sarkozy defended his reform plans, saying he would not let union protests deter him from ending pension privileges to state workers. He sparked union anger earlier this week by announcing that he would phase out the so-called “special regimes”, which allow rail, electricity and gas workers, among others, to retire earlier than their peers in other industries.

Socialists say proposed reforms only helped employers and would hurt workers.

Some analysts say the president’s honeymoon might be over with divisions emerging inside his government.

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