April 17, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public backing for Nicolas Sarkozy remains steady in France, according to a poll by Ipsos published in Le Point. 40 per cent of respondents have a favourable opinion of their president’s performance, down one point since March.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public backing for Nicolas Sarkozy remains steady in France, according to a poll by Ipsos published in Le Point. 40 per cent of respondents have a favourable opinion of their president’s performance, down one point since March.

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 François Fillon—who had been his adviser and presidential campaign leader—as prime minister. 52 per cent of respondents hold a favourable opinion of Fillon’s performance, down seven points in a month.

Earlier this month, Socialist Party (PS) first-secretary François Hollande criticized Sarkozy’s decision to send more French troops to Afghanistan as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission, saying, "The whole of Europe will find itself aligned with the United States if France abandons its right to make autonomous decisions. (...) This turning towards NATO is not only against our interests but operates against the stability of the world."

Polling Data

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

	Apr. 2008	Mar. 2008	Feb. 2008
Favourable	40%	41%	39%
Unfavourable	57%	56%	58%

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

	Apr. 2008	Mar. 2008	Feb. 2008
Favourable	52%	59%	52%
Unfavourable	41%	33%	40%

Source: Ipsos / Le Point
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 962 French registered voters, conducted on Apr. 4 and Apr. 5, 2008. No margin of error was provided.