(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public satisfaction with France’s prime minister has increased dramatically while that of the president has stalled, according to a poll by Ipsos published in Le Point. 59 per cent of respondents have a favourable opinion of François Fillon, while only 41 per cent feel the same way about Nicolas Sarkozy.

Since February, Fillon’s positive rating increased by seven points, while Sarkozy’s decreased by two points.

In May 2007, Sarkozy, a centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) candidate 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.

Fillon is seen as the main actor in France’s proposed economic revival. On Feb. 26, Fillon dismissed calls for lowering France’s Value Added Tax (VAT) in order to curb growing inflation, saying, "People are saying (...) it would be enough to lower VAT to improve purchasing power in France. It is true. But, would it be reasonable with the state our public finances are in? No, lower VAT is not the answer to this question; competition is."

Polling Data

Do you have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of Nicolas Sarkozy’s performance as president?

Do you have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of François Fillon’s performance as prime minister?

Source: Ipsos / Le Point
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 942 French registered voters, conducted on Feb. 29 and Mar. 1, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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