Operation "de-Macronisation": President so unpopular, told to avoid campaigning
Article by The Telegraph

WORLD  05 July 2024 - 12:49

The Telegraph has published an article by Vivian Song discussing the low popularity of French President Macron. We are sharing this material with readers of Caliber.Az.

Emmanuel Macron has been advised to refrain from actively campaigning in France due to his significant unpopularity. Since announcing the snap parliamentary election on June 9, the French president has largely avoided public appearances and rallies.

In response to his poor approval ratings, his centrist Together coalition has removed his image from campaign materials, referring to this initiative as "de-Macronisation". Bruno Millienne, an outgoing MP for Yvelines, expressed these sentiments in a French TV interview, stating, "Yes, I informed the Élysée that he is disliked on the ground. We are experiencing the consequences of this dislike, which is unjust."

Millienne is among 224 candidates who have withdrawn from Sunday's run-off, primarily as tactical manoeuvres by the Left and Centre to avoid three-way races and block Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN).

Concerned about negative reactions to Macron's presence in election literature, senior party members privately urged the president to step back from the spotlight for self-preservation. An unnamed minister told Le Parisien that voters' responses to seeing Macron's face on campaign materials during the European elections were unfavourable, with sentiments like, "Oh, no, not him."

While Macron may have underestimated his own unpopularity, his former prime minister Édouard Philippe acknowledged the "rejection of the President of the Republic." Christophe Béchu, minister of ecological transition, admitted that Macron's image had become tiresome for some.

To distance themselves from their liability, Gabriel Attal, the prime minister, has taken a prominent role as the face of the presidential party, campaigning vigorously against the RN.

Public sentiment against Macron was evident on June 17 in Val-de-Marne, where a passerby told Attal, "You're fine. But you'll have to tell the president to shut his mouth." This interaction allowed Attal to further separate himself from Macron and remind voters of the nature of the legislative election.

Recent polls underscore Macron's dwindling popularity, with only 27% of respondents in a June 17 Public Sénat poll considering him a good president, while 72% found his actions unsatisfactory. An Ifop poll reported by Le Journal du Dimanche revealed an approval rating of just 26% for the president.

Early projections indicate that strategic efforts to unite the Left and Centre against the RN may prevent them from reaching the 289 seats required for a majority in parliament. Adjusted for candidate withdrawals, a Harris poll published on Wednesday forecasts the RN securing between 190-220 seats, the Left bloc New Popular Front earning 159-183 seats, and Macron's Together coalition achieving 110-135 seats.

Caliber.Az