The popularity rating of Prime Minister Michel Barnier has only been declining for three months, while he is threatened with censorship by two political camps.
His popularity is crumbling. Politically, Michel Barnier is already in the hot seat, with the left and the far right threatening to censor the government. And on the French side, the omens are not much better. According to the Ifop barometer for Sunday Newspaperpublished Saturday evening, November 23, 53% of French people believe that censorship is desirable.
And it doesn’t stop there: only 36% of respondents say they are satisfied with Michel Barnier as Prime Minister. This is 4 percentage points less than in October, and 9 less than in September. While it is not unusual for a politician’s popularity to decline during their term in office, it shows a sharp decline over a short period of time. “He took the slide,” commented Frédéric Dabi, the boss of Ifop, to the JDD. All against the backdrop of debates around the 2025 budget which are continuing in the National Assembly, and a possible use of 49.3 to adopt it without a vote by deputies.
“He does nothing”, “nothing happens”
Among the most dissatisfied respondents were workers and civil servants, with 73% dissatisfied, as well as the unemployed, at 79%. As for supporters of La France insoumise, 80% express their dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister. Same story among supporters of the National Rally, at 73%, or 4 points more than the previous month.
“He does nothing”, “nothing happens”, commented some respondents. However, the entourage of the tenant of Matignon assures him: “The French want someone reassuring in a moment of political, economic and geopolitical tensions, assert those close to him. Not someone who gets agitated or overreacts at the slightest difficulty!” Can Michel Barnier sufficiently reassure the French and the National Assembly to stay in office? Where will we see a new tenant in Matignon in January 2025?