Sarkozy's popularity plummets as his image explodes on the Net.

Joëlle Meskens comments on Nicolas Sarkozy's violent language at Paris' annual agricultural trade fair on February 23rd. The French president called someone who refused to shake his hand under the pretext he didn't want to sully himself a 'pauvre con' (poor bastard). "The scene was filmed and broadcast on the website of the French daily Le Parisien, then on YouTube and on Daily Motion, where it has caused a massive uproar. The skirmish follows a previous incident last November, when Nicholas Sarkozy gave a feisty response to a fisherman who harangued him in Guilvnec, a port town in Britanny. This latest loss of control couldn't have happened at a worse time for the head of state, who has experienced a spectacular drop in popularity. Only 38% of the French population still trusts him. That is 19 points fewer than his prime minister François Fillon. This has never been seen before in the 5th republic, power-sharing governments aside."

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