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French Still Not Content with Sarkozy
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The majority of people in France continue to express disappointment with the government of Nicolas Sarkozy, according to a poll by Ifop published by Le Journal du Dimanche. 56 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with their president’s performance, while 47 per cent feel the same way about his appointed head of government, François Fillon.
Both ratings are practically unchanged since December.
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.
Since late 2007, defaults on so-called subprime mortgages—credit given to high-risk borrowers—in the United States have caused volatility in domestic and global financial markets and pushed the U.S. economy into a recession. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth.
The crisis has affected the global financial and credit systems. The downturn has hit France in the form of rising unemployment—and its own recession.
On Jan. 28, thousands of French people took to the streets to stage what was dubbed the "Black Thursday" protests against the government’s handling of the economic crisis. The country’s eight biggest labour unions called for a general strike for the whole day.
Fillon addressed the criticism, saying, "It’s not the government’s role to make gestures; it’s the government’s role to keep reforms on track."
Polling Data
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with Nicolas Sarkozy’s performance as president?
|
|
Jan. 2009 |
Dec. 2008 |
Nov. 2008 |
|
Satisfied |
44% |
44% |
44% |
|
Dissatisfied |
56% |
55% |
56% |
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with François Fillon’s performance as prime minister?
|
|
Jan. 2009 |
Dec. 2008 |
Nov. 2008 |
|
Satisfied |
51% |
52% |
55% |
|
Dissatisfied |
47% |
46% |
44% |
Source: Ifop / Le Journal du Dimanche
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,871 French adults, conducted from Jan. 15 to Jan. 23, 2009. No margin of error was provided.