Carlos minc , brazil 's new environment minister , reached agreement with the grain-processing industry to ban purchases of soya from deforested amazon regions until july 2009 .
It is bad for mr sarkozy in the short term , says alain minc , an economist who is close to the president , " but in the medium term it puts severe spending constraints on all candidates , and it will be harder for the socialists than for mr sarkozy to give up spending plans . "
