Just how (un) popular is M. Hollande

[Quillan]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/29/francois-hollande-most-unpopular-president (as one example but it is in loads of online newspapers).

This is the lowest BVA rating since the BVA came in to use 39 years ago, even Sarkozy only dropped to 30%.

This year whenever his name came up round the dinner table all my guests, which included functinaires who one would think would like him, would get agitated and none of them seemed to have a good word to say about the man. I read somewhere (sorry I can' remember where but it was in a French online newspaper) that he has introduced 93 new tax laws since he came in to power, nearly as many as all the laws created under Sarkozy during his whole term in office.

The BVA poll also showed that just over 80% of French people believe he will lose at the next election and 84% of the people polled believe his policies are totally wrong.

If what we (british) understand of the French is correct and they like to send 'messages' to presidents then it makes one wonder what will happen in the 2014 municipal elections? Quite a few I have listened to seem to be seriously considering voting extreme right i.e. FN which I believe they could live to regret.

Because of the way the French taxation system works we are considered poor. For the year 2012 our tax went up overall by one third. We are relatively lucky but it makes one wonder how those who are truly poor must be coping. Surely the idea of socialism is that wealth is spread around more evenly or is Hollandes version of socialism different to everyone elses?

I also wonder how seriously French politicians take their work and just how left, centre and right their thinking really is. I have been told for instance that Sarkozy, Hollande and Lagarde not only went to the same Grande Ecole but were in the same 'class' at the same time and taught by the same people. It makes one wonder if secretly they are all really the same in their views, like feather your own nest, make a shed load of money then leave the plebs to get on with it?

[Evianers]

To our way of thinking and this is only a very personal comment, he is the French equivalent of Gordon Brown

[Frederick]

He looks happy  in his job !

[NormanH]

It is certain that Hollande is very unpopular.

http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/11/02/malgre-la-liberation-des-otages-la-popularite-de-hollande-est-toujours-aussi-basse_3507151_823448.html

The reasons for this are many, and it would be a mistake to lay it simply at the fact of him being a 'Socialist' President. In fact in part it comes from him not being socialist enough and in part from his lack of firm grip in the face of the world-wide 'crise'

 Another part, which will be seized on by the Anglo-Saxon liberal press is the criticism that comes from the French right who lost the last elections and are obviously out for revenge.

The 'not Socialist enough' criticism which weighs much more here than it would seen from the UK is that he has betrayed the left. Some even ask if he is left-wing at all

http://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2013/10/28/hollande-est-il-de-gauche_3503878_3234.html

The lack of grip is seen in the multiple 'back trackings'; laws and measures are announced and then retracted and he seems to be feeble giving in at the slightest sign of resistance.

The third element I have no need to develop since it is the one that most British commentators will stress, i.e the unpopular tax rises

I emphasise though that this is not the only and perhaps not even the major cause for the unpopularity amongst his electors.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Frederick"]


He looks happy  in his job !
[/quote]

Sort of reminds me of one or two of Farrages silly facial expressions in a way. [:D] But then I guess any politician can be made to look stupid if a photographer is at the right place at the right time.

[Quillan]

Although I used a UK newspaper as a reference for actual figures (percentages) as a source most of what I initially wrote was more based on comments made by my French guests and therefore not 'spin' from the UK news in general.

I am probably being a bit stupid with this question but why would you ask the opposition their opinion of him? Apparently 97% of them thought he was no good, why as low as that? I would have thought it would be 100%. Just seems a silly question to ask, bit like asking all the Labour MP's their opinion of Cameron or visa versa.

[NormanH]

I think that an opposition could admit that a President was efficient or effective without agreeing with the policies.

I am in the unfortunate position of having had some sympathy with his point of view (certainly as opposed to the other camp) before the election, but now being bitterly disappointed by his performance.

I was also disappointed by Sarkozy who could have gone a long way towards freeing up some of the rigidities  in the system but turned back and concentrated on helping his wealthy backers

[woolybanana]

Well, Sarko started to reduce the number of fonctionnaires and began to change the pension system as well as trying to free up the constraints imposed by the disastrous 35 hour week.

He failed to change the labour laws or to put enough pressure on the State to reform.

I am not sure where to begin to describe the disaster that is Hollande and his bunch of nitwits.

[Gardian]

[quote user="Evianers"]To our way of thinking and this is only a very personal comment, he is the French equivalent of Gordon Brown
[/quote]

Well put.

[YCCMB]

It's a funny old world. A Conservative UK PM is constantly getting it in the neck for telling us we're all in the s*** together, whilst apparently not taxing the rich. A French Socialist premier is constantly getting it in the neck for taxing the rich. Or, at least, trying to.

We'll just keep changing the man/woman/party at the top, if for no other reason than that it adds a degree of variety to the list of things to complain about.

[Pickles]

Two articles from Midi Libre: One reports that a group of prefets has sent a letter to the government warning of "exasperation" of the populace, fed up with various aspects of the Govt's programme: http://www.midilibre.fr/2013/11/14/les-prefets-mettent-en-garde-le-gouvernement-sur-l-exasperation-des-francais,783009.php  The second reports a further disaffection with Hollande, the Govt and the ecologist parties: http://www.midilibre.fr/2013/11/14/avec-15-d-opinions-favorables-la-popularite-de-hollande-degringole,783058.php

[Evianers]

Read yesterday in The Local, newspaper for Anglophones living on the Continent, that Hollande's popularity has sunk to below 15%. Pauvre France!

[Quillan]

Most of my French friends seem to lining up to vote FN in the coming munciple elections which will be a great mistake in my view. As I said to a couple of them the other day "be careful what you wish for".

I did notice that the number of people asked for this pole was under a thousand. More intresting, in another poll carried out in Le Figaro, is that 58% of some 77k asked would prefer to have Sarkozy back.

Personally when the municple elections come round I know who I will vote for to (hopefully) be our new mayor. I don't know which political party he (no females standing AGAIN) is a member of but I have known him for years and think he will do an excellent job.

[Frederick]

Next year is going to be interesting when it comes to who does and who does not go to vote .

 http://www.diplomaticourier.com/news/regions/eurozone/1911-french-nationalism-and-euroscepticism-sign-of-greater-discontent-in-eu-elections