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French Wary of Chirac’s Health Information
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in France believe reports on the medical condition of their president have been incomplete, according to a poll by CSA published in Le Vrai Journal. 51 per cent of respondents think they have not been told all the truth regarding the health of Jacques Chirac.
Chirac won the presidential election in 1995, and was re-elected in a run-off over Jean-Marie Le Pen in May 2002. The head of state's popularity increased in late 2002 and early 2003 due to his vocal opposition to armed conflict in Iraq without an explicit mandate from the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
On Sept. 8, Chirac missed his first weekly cabinet meeting in 10 years. The 72-year-old president was hospitalized for a week after being treated for what was officially described as "a small vascular accident" that affected his vision in one eye. Senate president Christian Poncelet said there was no reason for concern, declaring, "He had a small health incident, as anyone can have, but with the president we take some extra precautions."
Prime minister Dominique de Villepin is France's official representative for this month's UN summit in New York. Chirac has been advised to avoid air travel for six weeks.
Polling Data
Do you think you have been told all the truth regarding the health of Jacques Chirac?
Yes | 35% |
No | 51% |
No reply | 14% |
Source: CSA / Le Vrai Journal
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,005 French adults, conducted on Sept. 7, 2005. No margin of error was provided.