Chirac France’s top politician

FORMER President Jacques Chirac is France’s most popular politician according to a recent poll.

Chirac, 77, came top of a list with 75% of people giving a good opinion of him. The latest poll puts him just ahead of the Socialist Dominique Strauss-Kahn – the current head of the IMF – who received 73% approval.

Chirac’s popularity has risen consistently since he retired from politics. In 2007 when the idea of him running for a third term was mooted a poll found 81% of French people did not want him.

Nicolas Sarkozy is in 35th place, but has risen from 30th with a 41% approval rating (similar to that of Chirac towards the end of his presidency) while Prime Minister François Fillon is in 8th position.

The poll of 957 people from a section of the French population was carried out by Ifop for Paris Match. In third place was Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

Photo: Eric Pouhier