Fewer than one third of French citizens surveyed has confidence in Jacques Chirac as their leader, according to UPI:

a day before President Jacques Chirac delivers his annual Bastille Day address, a poll published in Le Parisien newspaper found only 32 percent of respondents had "confidence" in Chirac's ability to respond to their problems.

Another poll, also published Wednesday, found only 28 percent of French had confidence in the ability of Chirac's new center—right government to create new jobs.

Cutting France's high unemployment rate is a top priority of French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who assumed his new functions a few weeks ago, as part of a wider Cabinet reshuffle.

A third poll, published Tuesday in France's Liberation newspaper, only gave Chirac a 30 percent popularity rating. Still, that marked a boost from only 26 percent the month before, according to the survey by the Louis—Harris—Yahoo polling services.

This is the man a President Kerry would have wooed as a key ally. I hope a new word enters the English Language to describe an arrogant politician given to dishonesty and snarkiness: "Jacques—ass."

Hat tip: Lucianne.com

Thomas Lifson  7 13 05