Who, on the evening of the primary next Sunday, will play the final of the right and the center? Six days before the election, the gap is narrowing between the three main contenders: François Fillon, Nicolas Sarkozy, Alain Juppé.
The outcome is all the more uncertain as the pollsters have demonstrated in recent months in Great Britain and the United States their inability to anticipate movements of opinion.
But instead of having their eyes riveted on their popularity rating, the candidates should instead dwell on the centers of interest of the voters. The latest Health Barometer produced by Odoxa (1) once again illustrates the gap between speeches from the stands and the reality on the ground.
Thus, 76% of those questioned make the preservation of our health system a priority for the next President of the Republic. Just behind the fight against unemployment, against terrorism (86% each) and against insecurity and delinquency (80%), but ahead of education (69%), observes Le Figaro. And yet, they are just as numerous (76%) to believe that health is the major absentee from political debates.
And the paradox does not end there. The health sector and players benefit from an exceptional image. Health professionals are all voted in by more than 80%. Same for the hospital. “By way of comparison, the daily recalls, journalists receive only 31% of good opinions, senior civil servants 14% and politicians 6%”.
This heritage dear to users is nevertheless threatened. 3 out of 4 French people (78%) believe that the best is behind us. As a result, 55% of voters say that the candidates’ health proposals will have an impact on the choice of their ballot. The warning is clear but, for the moment, it finds no echo in the political class.
(1) Odoxa 360 Health Barometer, produced in partnership with Orange, the MNH, the French Hospital Federation (FHF), Ramsay Générale de Santé, Le Figaro Santé and France Inter.
