‘Hollande not to finish presidency term’

A senior French politician says President Francois Hollande may be unable to finish his term as opinion polls make him the most unpopular French president ever.

“He has one of the lowest popularity rates compared to his predecessors and that is not only because of how he handled immigration issues, he is facing many problems, including unemployment and housing…,” Former French Minister of Housing and Urban Development Christine Boutin said in an interview with Press TV on Tuesday.

“And the question now is whether he will be able to complete his term, considering all these problems. I personally doubt that he will,” she added.

Polls published on Monday by OpinionWay institute, showed that the French president’s popularity rating has dropped four points to about 22 percent, with only three percent of the French being “very satisfied” with Hollande’s performance and 19 percent being “somewhat satisfied”.

The number of people unhappy with the French president has increased five points to about 77 percent.

The rating had put his popularity at the lowest level of any president since the founding of France’s Fifth Republic 55 years ago, breaking former president Jacques Chirac’s record.

On Tuesday, the French president was jeered and booed by protesters during an Armistice Day memorial ceremony over his controversial economic policies and the country’s rising unemployment.

The socialist president was also booed as he made his way to the Champs Elysees to lay a wreath Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe in the capital city.

Hollande’s popularity has sunk to record lows amid growing dissatisfaction over weak economic growth, high taxes and rising unemployment.

A similar poll conducted by research firm Ipsos, which was published on Monday, indicated that only 21 percent of the French approve of the president’s policies, 24 percent lower than the figure in October.

French government’s economic policies have angered the citizens. Furthermore, the country’s unemployment rate reached record highs in September, with nearly 3.3 million people out of work.