French PM starts tenure with record low approval rating

New French Prime Minister François Bayrou has begun his term with a historically low approval rating of 34 per cent.

A poll by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) for the Journal du Dimanche revealed that, since the institute began conducting such surveys in 1959, no prime minister has experienced such a high level of unpopularity - 66 per cent, right after taking office, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Only 34 per cent of those surveyed expressed satisfaction or strong satisfaction with the new prime minister. 

The number of French people dissatisfied with François Bayrou, who hopes to form his government in the coming days, far exceeds the figures seen when previous prime ministers were appointed: Michel Barnier, who was dismissed following a vote of no confidence (55 per cent), Gabriel Attal (46 per cent, and Élisabeth Borne (43 per cent).

The same survey showed a slight improvement in French President Emmanuel Macron's approval rating: the number of those satisfied with him increased by 2 percentage points compared to the previous month, reaching 24 per cent. 

The online survey was conducted from December 17 to 18, with 1,000 adult residents of France participating. The margin of error for the survey is between 1.4 and 3.1 percentage points. In December, Bayrou succeeded Michel Barnier as prime minister, after Barnier was removed by a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly.

By Naila Huseynova