8 out of 10 ‘don’t trust government’

MORE than eight out of 10 people in France do not trust the government to improve growth, reduce the deficit and cut unemployment, a survey has revealed.

The Ifop poll for the Journal du Dimanche found that 85% do not believe that government policies to reduce unemployment will work.

Meanwhile, 84% said they do not trust the government to deliver real results on improving growth, and 82% answered no to the same question about the government’s ability to reduce the deficit.

The results of the poll prompted Prime Minister Manuel Valls to insist that any change in policy is “out of the question”.

He told the paper: “The policy that the President has decided to implement needs time to produce results. But there is no way to change it.”

But, even those on the left have doubts about the effectiveness of the Socialist government’s policies, the survey found. Only 42% have confidence in the government's economic policy on the reduction of public deficits, 37% on boosting growth and 39% in the fight against unemployment.

The online poll of 1,013 adults found that lowering unemployment is a priority among 70% of respondents. Meanwhile, 56% said health issues should be a government priority in the months to come, 53% believed the fight against crime is the most important concern, and 50% said improving wages and purchasing power.