Hollande Popularity Plumbs New Low in Mid-term French Poll

Half-way into his five-year mandate the popularity of French President Francois Hollande hit a new low on Thursday, hours before the Socialist leader addresses the nation to defend his shaky record on the economy. In the worst score for a president in modern-day polling, Hollande received a 12 percent approval rating in the monthly survey by pollster YouGov, down 15 percent from the prior month. "The absence of a clear vision and lack of coherence in economic policies is weighing on confidence and therefore investment and economic activity," CEO Jean-Paul Chifflet said during a conference call to present the bank's results.