(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public support for Nicolas Sarkozy fell this month in France, according to a poll by Ipsos published in Le Point. 49 per cent of respondents have a favourable opinion of their president, down six points since December.

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 François Fillon—who had been his adviser and presidential campaign leader—as prime minister. 45 per cent of respondents have a positive opinion of Fillon, down two points in one month.

Earlier this month, Société Générale—France’s second biggest bank—revealed that rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel committed a major fraud that left losses estimated at $7.8 billion U.S. for the institution. French authorities have charged Kerviel with breach of trust, falsifying documents, and computer hacking.

On Jan. 26, Sarkozy called for an overhaul of international regulations in light of the events at Société Générale, saying, "We have to put a stop to this financial system which is out of its mind and which has lost sight of its purpose. (...) The point of a financial system is to lend money for economic activities, which, in turn, generate profits. It is not to go and speculate on different activities which create enormous flows and profits in a few hours. (...) It is time to realize that (we need) to insert a bit of wisdom into all these systems."

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: Interviews with 940 French registered voters, conducted on Jan. 11 and Jan. 12, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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