Hollande fares badly in poll

TEN months into his mandate, president Francois Hollande has scored the worst of any French president since 1981 in a TNS Sofres poll for Le Figaro magazine released yesterday.

Socialist voters who propelled Mr Hollande to the presidency last May are now questioning his government’s handling of an economy teetering near recession and joblessness at a 15-year high.

Hollande’s rating fell by five points in February to 30 per cent when respondents were asked if they had confidence in their president to resolve the country’s problems.