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Emmanuel Macron’s confidence rating is at an all-time low, with only 21% of French people still trusting him, according to the latest Elabe barometer for Les Echos.
According to the pollsters, this new drop, of one point in one month and six points since August, can be explained by the lack of understanding surrounding the recent dissolution of the National Assembly and France’s difficult budgetary situation. Some 73% of French people say they don’t trust the president, and 48% even say they don’t trust him at all, a level close to the peak of unpopularity reached during the “Yellow Jackets” crisis in 2018.
According to Bernard Sananès, president of the Elabe institute that carried out this opinion survey, the rise in Macron’s unpopularity can be explained by a “triple effect”: the negatively perceived dissolution, a presidency considered as not very active, and an economic and budgetary record judged unfavorably. Added to this is the slow implementation of the government led by Michel Barnier, which contributes to the impression of a persistent political stalemate. The current budget debate, chaotic and difficult to follow, is also causing concern among the French, who fear they will suffer the consequences. Emmanuel Macron thus seems to be crystallizing general discontent, touching on the political situation, deficits and insecurity all at once, with no prospect of recovery emerging for the time being.
