Reuters: Analysis: Clock ticking on French fracking veto

President Francois Hollande's move to leave French shale gas untapped to protect a frayed alliance with the Greens may come back to haunt him as the economy grinds to a halt and job cuts pile in.

Possibly the biggest shale gas reserves in Western Europe, cooling ardor for nuclear, rumblings of dissent from his industry minister and pro-shale pleas from bosses and unions alike, keen for more jobs, will combine to erode his resolve.

Hollande hit a publicly tough tone against fracking - the high-pressure pumping of water into rock cracks to release gas - declaring it too early to rule out any environmental damage and ordering his energy minister to withdraw seven exploration permits.  MORE