Majority of French seek reshuffle of government

PARIS - Reuters

President Hollande (R) has been shaken by tax scandal. AFP photo

A majority of the French favor a government reshuffle in the aftermath of a scandal that forced the budget minister to resign after lying about a secret foreign bank account, a poll showed today.

President François Hollande and his finance minister have spent the past week fending off accusations of a cover-up after former Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac admitted lying about a secret 600,000-euro foreign bank account and was placed under formal investigation by magistrates.

The scandal is a grave blow to Hollande, who had promised his administration would be irreproachable, and raises the pressure on the government as it struggles to reverse a rise in unemployment and meet its economic targets.

A survey by IFOP for the weekly Journal du Dimanche showed yesterday that 60 percent of French people wanted Hollande to reshuffle his team, including 42 percent of left-wing voters. The poll also said 55 percent of people felt Hollande’s image had been tarnished at a time when approval ratings have already slumped to below 30 percent for both him and his prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault.