Just when you thought things couldn’t get much worse for French President Francois Hollande.
Thousands of angry protesters have taken to the streets calling for his resignation. Carrying banners that read “The French are angry,” they marched through Paris on Sunday. (Via Press TV)
With a long list of grievances — notably France’s high unemployment and high taxes, along with new laws legalizing same-sex marriage and easing abortion restrictions. (Via BFM-TV)
According toLe Monde, the protests — organized mostly by right-wing groups — ended with the arrests of nearly 250 demonstrators and more than a dozen police officers injured.
Hollande, of course, is no stranger to protests against his presidency. With an approval rating that's dipped as low as 20 percent, he's considered France's most unpopular head of state in decades. (Via Jewish News One)
A sluggish economy has a lot to do with it, but as of late, so does his private life.
Dubbed by the media two years ago, Monsieur Normal, Hollande stood in sharp contrast to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy whose lavish and flashy lifestyle, some say, tainted the presidency. (Via TFI)
But then reports surfaced of an alleged affair between Hollande and a French actress — causing a political spectacle that threatened to further undermine his presidency. (Via Closer)
Two weeks later, Hollande announced he and his longtime partner, Valerie Trierweiler, were splitting up. (Via Business Insider)
Of course, it's not just Hollande the French are frustrated with. A protester recently made news for dumping a truck full of horse manure in front of the country’s parliament building. (Via Euronews)
