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Valls was starting a speech to about 700 people in support of
his Socialist party's candidate for a by-election on Tuesday
night when the lights went out and his microphone turned silent.
The electricity stayed off for about an hour, not just at the
venue, but in the whole neighbourhood in Audincourt, eastern
France. Valls resumed his speech once the power had come back
on.
The mines and energy federation of France's militant CGT union
said in a statement it supported the action.
"When we are not listened to, we must make our point
differently, so we cut the power, voila," regional CGT head Marc
Pautot said on radio France Info.
Electricity distribution group ERDF, part of state-controlled
utility EDF, said it was launching an inquiry into the incident.
The CGT union has been behind a number of direct protest actions
in France, including the "boss-nappings" that made headlines in
recent years.
Valls speech came as an unpopular Socialist government enjoys a
resurgence in opinion polls in the aftermath of the Islamists
militant attacks in Paris earlier in January, but amid delicate
negotiations between bosses and unions over a wide range of
pro-growth reforms some union activists see as eroding workers'
rights.
France's energy reforms have a wider purpose, aiming to boost
the use of renewable energy like solar and wind and reduce the
share of nuclear energy in French power production to 50 percent
from more than 75 percent now.
Unions say they will increase greenhouse gas emissions, push up
electricity prices and increase the risk of blackouts.
The energy reform law is under review in France's upper house of
parliament after a first draft was adopted by the lower house
late in 2014. The CGT and another union have also called for a
one-day strike on Thursday.
The strike is expected to cause only a minor reduction in
electric output.
(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Andrew Callus)
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