Surprise surprise: biz leaders unhappy with French prez

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By Lionel Laurent

JOUY-EN-JOSAS, France (Reuters) - French business leaders stepped up criticism of the new left-wing government on Friday, lamenting a perceived anti-corporate bias and lack of competitiveness, despite the prime minister's recent efforts to mollify them.

The presidency of Socialist Francois Hollande, who has angered some in the corporate world for adopting what they say are "soak-the-rich" tax policies and anti-business rhetoric, came in for heavy scorn on the last day of the Medef business lobby's annual conference.

As well as introducing a 75 percent tax on millionaires, the Hollande administration is eyeing more taxes on banks and energy companies and has pledged to crack down on risky investment banking.

"We are sick and tired of being told how to behave," Sodexo Chairman Pierre Bellon told Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg, who was sitting on the same debate panel at the conference.