(08/17/10) -

Sarkozy, Fillon Fail to Recover in France

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his appointed prime minister François Fillon remain widely unpopular, according to a poll by CSA published in Le Parisien. 61 per cent of respondents express no confidence in the president’s ability to face the country’s issues, while 54 per cent feel the same way about Fillon.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his appointed prime minister François Fillon remain widely unpopular, according to a poll by CSA published in Le Parisien. 61 per cent of respondents express no confidence in the president’s ability to face the country’s issues, while 54 per cent feel the same way about Fillon.

Results are essentially unchanged since July.

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 Fillon—who had been his adviser and presidential campaign leader—as prime minister.

Earlier this month, Sarkozy launched an anti-crime campaign and a crackdown on illegal immigration by introducing measures to revoke the French citizenship of immigrants who endanger the lives of police officers, and making it easier to deport people who are in France illegally. The measures target mainly the Roma. The president has explicitly defined "Gipsy camps" as a source of prostitution, trafficking, and child exploitation.

On Aug. 10, Pierre Moscovici, a former minister and currently a lawmaker with the Socialist Party (PS), referred to the controversial campaign, declaring, "We have to get back to talking about social issues, about pensions, jobs, taxes, and not fall for this bait."

Polling Data

Do you have confidence in French president Nicolas Sarkozy to face the country’s problems?

Do you have confidence in French prime minister François Fillon to face the country’s problems?