The popularity of French President Emmanuel Macron fell to 28% in March, a level not reached since 2019 at the end of the crisis of “yellow vests”, while his government drew article 49-3 of the Constitution to adopt its highly controversial pension reform, according to the monthly barometer of the “Ifop” polling institute published by the Journal du Dimanche (JDD).
With 70% of French people dissatisfied, the popularity rating of the Head of State has fallen by 4 points in one month, thus falling below the symbolic bar of 30% satisfied, to now be behind his Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne ( 29% satisfied).
Since December, the head of state has suffered a substantial drop of 8 points, according to the survey.
We have to go back to the end of the crisis of the Yellow Vests, at the beginning of 2019, to find comparable levels of unpopularity, notes Le Journal du Dimanche.
“It’s a very bad sequence for the executive couple”, underlines the director general of Ifop, Frédéric Dabi, quoted in the newspaper, adding that “for the first time, the presidential base of the first round is reached”.
Emmanuel Macron’s popularity has fallen by 13 points since his re-election in May 2022. It had reached its lowest level (23%) in December 2018, at the height of the demonstrations of “yellow vests”, recalls the publication.
For her part, the popularity of Elisabeth Borne remained stable in March at 29% satisfied but with a little more dissatisfaction (67%, +1) and remains at its lowest level of popularity since her arrival at Matignon. last May.
In addition, 78% of French people would find the use of article 49-3 by the government unjustified to pass the pension reform, according to another survey by the same institute.
On Thursday, Elisabeth Borne had engaged the responsibility of her government by resorting to article 49 paragraph 3 of the Constitution to pass the pension reform project, a few hours after the text received the green light from the Senate.
The government’s decision aroused the anger and indignation of the oppositions who denounced a “denial” and a democratic “shock” on the part of the executive and a “shame” for French democracy.
Two motions of censure were tabled on Friday in an attempt to overthrow the government and will be examined on Monday in the National Assembly, while the inter-union, bringing together the main unions in the country, called for a new day of strikes and demonstrations for Thursday March 23, the ninth since January 19.
Demonstrations in several cities, including Paris, broke out following the government’s announcement and have since continued in some localities. On Saturday, 169 people were arrested in France on the sidelines of anti-reform demonstrations, organized in several cities, including 122 in the capital.
IT