Popularity of France's Sarkozy falls further - poll

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy's approval rating fell 10 percentage points to 39 percent in an opinion poll published on Monday, the latest survey to highlight a collapse in his popularity.

The IPSOS poll for weekly Le Point did not provide details on respondents' reasons for their answers but previous polls have pinpointed disapproval of his public romance with former model Carla Bruni, now his wife, and anger over the cost of living.

The monthly poll of 944 people carried out on Feb. 8 and 9 said Sarkozy's approval rating fell from 49 percent a month earlier. The number of respondents who disapproved of Sarkozy rose 9 percentage points to 58 percent from 49 percent.

By contrast, the approval rating of Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who has been relatively low-key in his public statements while Sarkozy has taken centre stage, continued to improve. It rose to 52 percent in February from 45 percent in January.