Macron faces growing discontent as 74% of French voters criticize his leadership

A new survey has revealed widespread discontent among French citizens with Emmanuel Macron’s performance as President, with 74% of respondents deeming him a poor leader.

The findings, published by the Independent research institute Odoxa, highlight mounting calls for political reform in France amid ongoing political turbulence, Caliber.Az reports.

The survey, conducted on December 11-12, sampled 1,005 citizens aged 18 and over. It found that 85% of respondents supported the need to overhaul the country’s political institutions.

Notably, 52% backed limiting the presidential term to a single tenure, while 56% favoured replacing the current Fifth Republic with a parliamentary Sixth Republic.

The discontent comes against the backdrop of a major political crisis. On December 4, the French National Assembly passed a vote of no confidence in the government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The motion, which followed his controversial approval of the 2025 state budget’s social provisions without parliamentary consent, was supported by 331 deputies.

Barnier, who had been in office for just 90 days after his appointment on September 5, resigned following the vote. His tenure has now become the shortest in the history of the Fifth Republic.

President Macron has since appointed François Bayrou, leader of the centrist Democratic Movement party, as the new Prime Minister. The 73-year-old Bayrou is tasked with forming a new cabinet, but no announcements have yet been made.

The unfolding political instability is likely to intensify calls for reforms, with public sentiment signalling dissatisfaction with the current presidential system and a desire for a more parliamentary-driven governance model.

By Aghakazim Guliyev