2023-09-11 21:09:45
By John Timsit
Published 3 hours ago, Updated 2 hours ago
The coordinator of La France Insoumise Manuel Bompard. THOMAS SAMSON / AFP
While the association launched a vast appeal for donations a week ago, the billionaire’s gesture was vilified by part of the left. But nine out of ten French people support this decision, according to a poll.
A controversy which ultimately is not one. At the beginning of September, on TF1, the president of Restos du coeur expressed concern about the financial balance of the association created in 1985, indicating that he had to quickly find 35 million euros to close the accounts. Patrice Douret’s call sparked numerous reactions from the State, businesses, as well as Bernard Arnault. Faced with the not insignificant possibility of the association closing within 3 years, the boss of LVMH announced the payment of a donation of 10 million euros.
If this gesture had been mainly welcomed by the political class, part of the left, and in particular the executives of La France Insoumise, had mocked this initiative. With a more or less well-crafted argument: this sum of money would not represent much for the billionaire who is the boss of the LVMH group. Last week, the coordinator of La France Insoumise Manuel Bompard further explained, on Cnews, that “the gift of Bernard Arnault reduced to his personal fortune» represented only “a donation of 30 cents for someone who earns minimum wage.” In addition, the representatives claimed that Bernard Arnault’s donation would be tax-exempt, an assertion quickly denied by the businessman’s entourage.
However, a few days later, a survey published this Monday reveals that the posture chanted by the LFI representatives is not shared by… their own supporters. According to a CSA study, 83% of La France Insoumise voters approve of the businessman’s approach. A rate which reaches 89% in the Socialist Party, 85% among environmentalists and 85% for all left-wing sympathizers.
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The posture of the rebellious representatives is also out of step with all French people, whose opinion is clear: 89% applaud the decision of the Arnault family. A feeling widely spread across all strata of the population, regardless of the age, gender, or profession of the people questioned.
Another data to take into account, the signal sent by Bernaud Arnault which made it possible to improve his image among the French. Among the 85% of people surveyed who know him, 72% have a good opinion of him. A rate which drops slightly to 70% for the entire population. The gesture of the boss of LVMH has also significantly transformed the perception that the French have, by changing in a positive way the perception of 30% of those who already knew Bernard Arnault. And 12% of those who had a negative opinion.
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