(07/02/09) -

President Sarkozy Gains Points in France

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The popularity of French president Nicolas Sarkozy has improved only slightly, according to a poll by Ifop published in Le Journal de Dimanche. 41 per cent of respondents are satisfied with Sarkozy’s performance, up three points since May.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The popularity of French president Nicolas Sarkozy has improved only slightly, according to a poll by Ifop published in Le Journal de Dimanche. 41 per cent of respondents are satisfied with Sarkozy’s performance, up three points since May.

In May 2007, Sarkozy, candidate for the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and former interior minister, won the presidential run-off with 53.06 per cent of the vote. Sarkozy appointed François Fillon—who had been his adviser and presidential campaign leader—as prime minister. 50 per cent of respondents are content with Fillon’s performance.

On Jun. 22, Sarkozy said that burqas—the body-length garments used by some Muslim women—are not welcome in France, declaring, "We cannot accept in our country women imprisoned behind netting, cut off from any social life, deprived of any identity. This is not the idea the French Republic has of a woman’s dignity."

In February 2004, the French government implemented a ban on religious symbols in schools as a measure to reaffirm the country’s secular identity. Former government minister Bernard Stasi headed the panel, which concluded that some garments—such as Islamic scarves, Jewish kippas and crosses—represent a "conspicuous" sign of spiritual affiliation that should not be allowed in the classroom.

Polling Data

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with Nicolas Sarkozy’s performance as president?

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with François Fillon’s performance as prime minister?

Source: Ifop / Le Journal du Dimanche
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,880 French adults, conducted from Jun. 18 to Jun. 26, 2009. No margin of error was provided.