Left Protests Against Hollande in France

He doesn't seem to have much of a base left

Tens of thousands of protesters have rallied in Paris to express their dissatisfaction with French President Francois Hollande ahead of the first anniversary of his election.

The left-wing demonstrators accuse the president of abandoning socialism with his austerity policies.

Recent opinion polls show Mr Hollande's approval rating among the public has fallen to about 25%.

This is the biggest slump for any French president in the past 50 years.

Many people are angered by the weak economy and soaring unemployment.

And correspondents say Mr Hollande's vision of a fairer society does not sit well with the recent scandal involving his former budget minister Jerome Cahuzac, who admitted lying about a savings account in Switzerland.