Chirac gains in popularity poll

Paris - The first six weeks of enforced cohabitation, or power-sharing, between the French President, Mr Jacques Chirac and the…

Paris - The first six weeks of enforced cohabitation, or power-sharing, between the French President, Mr Jacques Chirac and the Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, have benefitted the head of state more than his prime minister, an opinion poll showed yesterday.

The IFOP survey for the weekly Le Journal du Dimanche said that 42 per cent were happy with Mr Chirac's performance, up 4 per cent on the previous month. The poll showed a small increase for Mr Jospin, whose popularity went up to 48 per cent from 47 per cent a month earlier.