Posted on 12/12/2005 10:25:15 AM PST by LM_Guy
PARIS, Dec 11 (AFP) - Only one percent of French people want President Jacques Chirac to stand for a third term at the Elysée palace in elections due in May 2007, according to an opinion poll Sunday.
Asked which candidate they would like to see representing Chirac's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, 36 percent of the public chose Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and 19 percent chose Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, according to the IFOP survey for Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
Some seven percent went to other figures, while 34 percent refused to nominate anyone from the party.
The findings appeared to confirm the gradual eclipsing of Chirac by a younger generation of
politicians as he enters the last phase of his second term.
Sarkozy's popularity was even more pronounced among UMP supporters, who favoured him by 60 to 19 percent over Villepin. Even among UMP faithful only two percent wanted Chirac to run for a third term.
Last week Sarkozy won agreement from the UMP leadership for a change to the party's statutes so that the UMP's 200,000 members can choose a single candidate for the presidential race. The IFOP findings confirmed that he is by far the most likely nominee.
But Villepin, who is widely seen as Chirac's chosen successor, enjoys greater support among left-wing voters, who favoured him by 25 percent to 19 over Sarkozy, the poll found.
Chirac was first elected president in 1995 and re-elected in 2002.
But 80% of French voters voted for him.
Well, as history has it, every time a SOCIALIST government takes over, IT FAILS. The French are no different. Maybe they are learning their lesson, albiet very slowly, that socialism is a failed system.
I think they finally got the wake up call when half their country was in flames and Chirac wasn't heard from for 2 weeks.
Doesn't he get indicted for fraud as soon as he leaves office..?
I think he could be but the cowards will give the puke a pass. IMHO
Not sure..that might throw the election to the other side..Chirac may be French toast..
I think this survey is only on Chirac's UMP. It doesn't say anything about potential candidates from Socialist party or Le Pen.
Fortunately the US has the electoral colleget that prevents the US government from being a dictatorship of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Talk about Bush's poll numbers?
But 80% of French voters voted for him - to be fair the only option was a Nationalist (Nazi) and the French do not care too much for them.
I thought the socialists also supported 'no', because they're affraid the constitution would bring them into the evil anglo-american social system?
They cant even get the acronym right
Well I thought it was bribary not fraud. But in any case it would be highly unusual for a French politician to get convicted for a practice as widespread as bribary is in France. I think it is not going to happen. The Europeans in general do not have the same negative view of bribary as we Americans do. It is just "business" to them.
In French, "Movement" comes before "Popular". You were just kidding, right?
Canard boiteux de Monsieur.
"Help them, Obi Wan Sarkozy! You're their only hope!"
(Bzazt)
"Help them, Obi Wan Sarkozy! You're their only hope!"
(Bzazt)
"Help them, Obi Wan Sarkozy! You're their only hope!"
(Bzazt)
"Help them, Obi Wan(Bzazt...)"
Yes, which is why he wants Villipen to become the next president. Its been said that Villipen have worked out a deal where the title of "senator for life" bestowed to Chirac, so legally, he can't be charged with any crimes once he leaves office.
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