PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron’s personal ratings are approaching their lowest recorded level over his handling of pension reform and protests, a poll indicated on Tuesday (Mar 28).
The survey by the Odoxa polling group said only 30 per cent of respondents thought he was a “good” president, down by six percentage points in a month, while 70 per cent judged him negatively.
Macron’s popularity is approaching the low reached in December 2018 during the so-called “Yellow Vest” anti-government demonstrations, when only 27 per cent of people held positive views of the president.
The survey, carried out for the Public Senat channel and regional newspapers, showed falls for most of the French political class amid increasingly violent protests against the government’s bid to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen saw her favourability rating slump three percentage points to 32 per cent, but the country’s most popular political figure, Macron’s first prime minister Edouard Philippe, skidded by seven points to 34 per cent.
“If Edouard Philippe falls again next month, it’s likely that for the first time in the history of our political trackers (meaning six or seven decades), we would have someone from the far-right at the head of our table,” Odoxa said.
The survey showed that 71 per cent of respondents favoured a referendum on raising the pension age and 67 per cent would vote against, with opposition to the move relatively stable since the start of the year.
RUBBISH ON STREETS
Other surveys have also confirmed a slump in Macron’s ratings as rubbish builds up in the streets of Paris due to a strike by refuse collectors and protesters blocking ports and refineries.
Tuesday marked the 10th day of national strikes and protests organised by trade unions since the start of the year.
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