(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Few adults in France believe their government should have a different prime minister, according to a poll by CSA published in Le Parisien. 67 per cent of respondents want French president Nicolas Sarkozy to retain François Fillon, while 18 per cent would replace him.

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.

In October 2006, riots broke out in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois after the death of two teenagers who allegedly were being pursued by police officers. By mid-November, French authorities declared a "return to normalcy" in the whole country. Over 20 nights of violence—which spread to 19 French provinces—at least 8,973 vehicles were torched, 2,888 people were arrested, 126 police officers were injured, and one person died.

On Jun. 20, Fillon announced the government’s strategy to "revive" the suburbs, adding, "There will be no increase in public spending so everything we are doing will be through redeployment, by lowering spending for some policies and some ministries." The plan entails designing new transport routes, assisting young people who want to get jobs, and allocating additional resources to local police.

Polling Data

In your view, should French president Nicolas Sarkozy keep or replace François Fillon as prime minister?

Source: CSA / Le Parisien
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 954 French adults, conducted on Jun. 11 and Jun. 12, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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