75% of French disapprove of Macron govt, poll reveals as Yellow Vest rallies simmer

Published time: 4 Jan, 2019 07:34

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A 'Macron Resign' slogan was painted on the Arc de Triomphe amid 'Yellow Vest' rallies in Paris © REUTERS / Stephane Mahe

Three-quarters of the French are dissatisfied with President Emmanuel Macron’s policies and have appallingly little trust in his ministers, a new poll by Odexa has revealed.

Just 25 percent of the people surveyed by Odoxa and Dentsu Consulting for France Info and Le Figaro said they were happy with the way the government is running the protest-plagued country, while 75 percent disapprove of Macron and the ministers in his cabinet.

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This indicates a dramatic loss of popularity for Macron compared to the 59 percent of unhappy citizens in April 2018, according to France Info. The current poll included 1,004 people across the country and was carried out in early January.

Interestingly, the least favorable opinions came not only from low-paid workers and farmers, but also the upper-middle income class.

People are equally dissatisfied with a number of key government officials, including Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, with 54 and 53 percent negative ratings respectively.

Yellow Vest protesters – so called due to the distinctive high-visibility jackets they wear – launched massive rallies across the country in November of last year. At first, the rallies targeted a hike in fuel prices proposed by Macron’s government, which was later dropped in the wake of almost war-like battles between angry protesters and police.

Efforts to pacify the people failed as the Yellow Vest movement quickly snowballed into a wider protest against deteriorating living conditions and social inequality in France.

One of the protest leaders, Eric Drouet, was arrested in Paris late on Wednesday, sparking outcry among his supporters who chanted ‘Dictatorship! Dictatorship!’

The authorities earlier charged him with organizing and leading an unauthorized protest, sparking outrage among the Yellow Vests in the capital. Tweeting support for Drouet, left-wing politician Jean-Luc Melenchon called the arrest an “abuse of power” and political policing. 

https://www.rt.com/news/448050-france-macron-disapproval-poll/