Macron’s approval rating falls to 12%

French President Emmanuel Macron’s approval rating fell by a further 7 percentage points in November, dropping to 12%. This is the lowest level recorded since he took office at the Élysée Palace.

TodayPress TV reports that this is according to the results of a monthly poll conducted by YouGov for the French publication Le HuffPost.

According to Le HuffPost’s analysis, Macron’s current rating is approaching the 11% approval level recorded by his predecessor, François Hollande, in June 2016.

The decline comes amid political and social tensions observed in France in recent weeks, as well as the president’s failure to ease public discontent through his public statements. In a televised address on October 18, Macron faced criticism and questions for failing to announce any concrete initiatives. His remarks on the legitimacy of demonstrations, comments made during a visit to the city of Trappes on October 23, and subsequent political discussions have also sparked public controversy.

In addition, the publication of a book by journalist Françoise Duguet, which allegedly contains her Telegram correspondence with Macron, and discussions about a possible political coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election have also featured prominently on the country’s political agenda.

By contrast, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s approval rating has remained relatively stable. His performance was viewed positively by 20% of respondents, just 1 percentage point lower than the previous month.

According to YouGov, Macron’s approval rating stood at 21% in October, while Lecornu’s was 19%. The prime minister is now 8 percentage points ahead of the president.