Paris - Financial scandals battering his RPR party have begun to undermine public support for the French President, Mr Jacques Chirac.
The daily Liberation published a CSA poll showing Mr Chirac's rating dropped from 51 to 46 per cent while his rival Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, jumped from 49 to 54 per cent. The two are expected to face off in the 2002 presidential election.
