French Economy Minister pledges love, reforms, to business leaders

JOUY-EN-JOSAS, France (Reuters) - France's Socialist government will keep making changes aimed at helping businesses until the end of its mandate in 2017, Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, pledging both "love" and "demonstrations of love."

One year after Prime Minister Manuel Valls told the annual conference of French employers' organisation Medef that he "loves business," Macron told Medef that the government had shown this was not just words, listing steps to boost investment and cut corporate tax.

"There is love, and there are demonstrations of love," the former banker turned Socialist economy minister said.

He did not, however, announce any new reforms.

Medef chief Pierre Gattaz had urged the government on Wednesday to do more in the next six to nine months, calling for an overhaul of labour rules and public spending cuts.

The government is pinning its hopes for economic recovery on a revival in business investment after growth stalled in the second quarter.

(Reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)