The vast majority of French people want President Francois Hollande to change his polices or reshuffle his government, an opinion poll suggested on Sunday, a day after thousands protested against tax hikes and rising unemployment. Hollande, the most unpopular French president on record according to a previous poll, has been hit by public anger over his economic methods, rows over immigration policy and repeated gaffes within the government.
Riot police fired water cannon to disperse protesters in Quimper in north-western France, an agricultural hub, on Saturday after a peaceful demonstration turned violent.
Three people were arrested and five slightly injured during the demonstration.
According to an IFOP poll for newspaper Journal du Dimanche, 91 percent of French people want Hollande to change his policies or his government before March's local elections.
The survey also showed a deep discontent among supporters of the Socialist president's own party with 85 percent of those on the left polled also demanding change. Jobless claims rose in September by the highest margin since the depths of the financial crisis in early 2009, undermining Hollande's pledge of reversing a rise in unemployment, which currently stands at 11 percent.
The government is also experiencing a growing backlash from voters and businesses after it imposed 30 billion euros ($40.46 billion) in tax hikes this year, seeking to honour a promise to its EU partners to bring its budget deficit below the bloc's target ceiling of 3 percent next year.
Comments
Comments are closed.