A bizarre poll, claiming to take the temperature of the nation after two years of Super-Sarko, reveals that a large majority (75%) admire the man for his ‘courage’ and ‘dynamism’ and at the same time, condemn the president (73%) for his inability to ‘listen’ and ‘to solve the problems of the French people.’

TF1 posted the results on its site. I think the readers’ comments reveal more than anything the nature of the divide that defines this nation.

At 23h35 on 6/5/09 Axel in London wrote:

“Those who affirm that ‘all of France is in the street to protest against (Sarkozy’s) policies’ have a weird view of things: even if the March demonstrations were supposed to have been an ‘enormous’ success, they only gathered 3 million French people. It’s true that the opinions of the 61 million others, who were at work or at home, don’t count for anything. Only the views of those who complain count…”

At 11h55 on 7/05/2009 Luc in Paris wrote:

“The reactions of Axel in London don’t interest anyone! He should get out of London and take a look at the extreme poverty of the country he’s living in.”

At 13h41 on 7/05/2009 Axel in London wrote:

“…That is very definitely one of the main reasons why I stopped voting left and started voting right: today in France, we are graced with a magnificent leftist intellectual dictatorship: ‘you think of France as we do or you don’t exist.’ Thank God I left France, a country being eaten away from the inside…”

At 16h40 on 7/05/2009 Xavier in Houston, Texas wrote:

“Bravo Axel in London (…)! The French don’t ever stop complaining, not working much and earning a lot!!!! Wake up, Sarkozy is doing a good job. If people stopped striking every month and finally got down to work, you wouldn’t be in this mess !!!!! Every time I come home for a few days, I see it. It’s a complete mess!!!!

The last word…

At 19h30 on 7/05/2009, Max in Boulogne wrote:

@ all expats or foreigners : of course you criticize France and yet you come to a French site…Hilarious! @ Xavier : I’d rather live in France under Sarkozy than in a country where only material and financial success is valued!