Poll: One-third of French citizens support Macron stepping down early

A recent survey conducted by Verian for Le Figaro reveals that most French citizens are feeling anger and shame in response to the political crisis currently affecting the country, with roughly one-third supporting the early resignation of President Emmanuel Macron.

The survey, carried out between October 14 and 16 — following the opposition’s unsuccessful attempts to force the government’s resignation and secure no-confidence votes in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) — involved 1,000 respondents.

When asked about their emotions regarding the situation in France, participants cited despair (39%), fatigue (35%), sadness (21%), and fear (18%). For the first time in a year, shame (53%) surpassed anger (49%) among citizens frustrated with political instability. An additional 9% reported indifference, while 5% still held hope for improvement. Positive emotions, such as joy, pride, anticipation, or satisfaction, were reported by only 1% of respondents.

The survey also reflected the public’s negative perception of political parties. The left-wing party La France Insoumise received the highest level of negative assessments at 75%, followed by the presidential party Renaissance at 72%.

The Socialist Party and the Republicans tied in third place, each with 66% negative evaluations. The right-wing party National Rally drew the least criticism at 51% and received a notably higher share of positive responses (36%) compared to other major parties.

Respondents were divided on solutions to the crisis. Twelve per cent advocated dissolving parliament, while 34% suggested combining this with the president’s resignation to hold early elections for both parliament and the presidency. Meanwhile, 25% believed the current government should remain in place to approve the budget and seek compromises on major reforms, while 12% felt the government should only pass the budget and maintain basic state functions, postponing reforms until the next presidential elections. Another 17% were uncertain which course of action would be best.

Le Figaro notes that ongoing internal and external crises have left many French citizens exhausted, and new elections may not generate significant enthusiasm. Twenty per cent of respondents believe that early elections could make the situation worse. If early parliamentary elections were held, 58% said they would definitely vote, while 62% expressed willingness to participate in early presidential elections. Nevertheless, these figures remain below the turnout rates for the 2024 parliamentary elections (66%) and the 2022 presidential elections (74%).

"It seems that rejection of the existing situation has become stronger than the desire for change," the newspaper concludes.

By Tamilla Hasanova