Relaxing on a powder-blue Louis XV settee, Premier Laurent Fabius met with TIME Managing Editor Ray Cave, Chief of Correspondents Richard Duncan and Paris Bureau Chief Jordan Bonfante in his Matignon Palace office. During a ^ one-hour interview, Fabius strongly emphasized France's need to adapt to changing times. Excerpts:
On the cantonal voting. It is the sort of interim election that is not decisive in national policy terms; generally speaking, people in a period of crisis vote against incumbents in this kind of election. That was good for us when we were in opposition. It is different for us now. Also,...