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Chirac has more

supporters than

opponents: Survey

PARIS: French President Jacques Chirac has more supporters than opponents for the first time in eight months, according to a survey published on Tuesday.

The BVA opinion said 48 percent of voters approved of Chirac's policies against 46 percent who disapproved. Last month's figures were 44 percent of satisfied voters against 50 percent who were not.

But another survey, by the CSA polling institute, said the popularity of both Chirac and Prime Minister Alain Juppe was stagnant at 45 per cent and 35 percent respectively.

Chirac's popularity started plunging soon after he was elected last May, and the BVA percentage of dissatisfied voters overtook that of his supporters last September.

BVA did not say why Chirac's popularity was recovering. The number of dissatisfied voters started falling after he announced the end of French nuclear weapons tests in the South Pacific last January.

BVA said the popularity of Prime Minister Alain Juppe, which had plunged to record lows over tax hikes and acute unemployment, was slowly recovering.

The percentage of voters approving of his policies rose to 35 percent from 30 percent last month, while those disapproving slipped to 58 from 64 percent.-Reuter