Politicians do not care, say 83%
Public deliver devastating verdict months before 2012 election with 70% saying elected officials are "rather corrupt"
JUST six months before France goes to vote for its new president an opinion poll says 83% of politicians care "not enough" or "not at all" for the concerns of the population.
The poll, by Sciences Po university's political research centre Cevipol, revealed that 70% of people think politicians are "rather corrupt" while 60% say they have no interest in politics and 52% have no faith "either in the Right or in the Left to govern the country".
Faith in politicians has slumped since a similar poll in 2009, with only local maires coming out with good reputations. Mistrust is the highest for three years said Cevipol director Pascal Perrineau.
Mr Perrineau said that normally in the run-up to an election the distrust "tends to erode" but this was still "enormous".
Distrust has been stoked by a political climate filled with the euro crisis, stories of money-filled briefcases for politicians, rising unemployment and rising prices.
The poll said 60% were unimpressed by the state of democracy in France - up from 57% at the end of 2010.
Just 27% of those polled, who came from all sectors of society, had faith in the Left to lead the country - against 22% for the Right - and the figures showed faith in President Sarkozy had slumped from 32% in 2009 to 27% this year.
Maires were the most popular politicians in France, with a 54% approval rating - although even this was a drop of nine points since 2009.
