Nearly half of French people would be prepared to vote in the next presidential election for this despot and great figure of history, if he were to return.
In 2027, the French will return to the polls to elect a new President of the Republic. Emmanuel Macron will not be able to run again after his two terms and the list of potential candidates remains uncertain for the moment. However, 62% of French people believe that a particular personality would make a better leader for France than Emmanuel Macron, according to a survey conducted at the end of March 2024 by Odoxa for “La clef et la croix” and Editions JC Lattès, with 1005 French people representative of the French population aged 18 and over. Only Renaissance supporters are not in the majority of this opinion.
If this despot were to reappear, nearly one in two French people would be ready to vote for him in 2027 (47%, including 35% yes, probably and 12% yes, certainly). However, this is a person who has not been of this world for a long time, Napoleon I. In comparison, Emmanuel Macron’s voting potential in 2022 before the election was 39% and Marine Le Pen’s 38%.
It is more LR sympathisers who are in favour of a return of Napoleon Bonaparte, if that were possible (66%) as well as Reconquête supporters (65%). Let us recall that what has long been called Bonapartism is one of the traditional components of the French right. This popularity is much less important among left-wing sympathisers and in particular PS (36%).
The polling institute concludes from its initial findings that “the difference is such that it cannot be explained simply by a bad patch that the head of state is going through. It is linked to the crisis of legitimacy that the leaders of the Fifth Republic have been going through for many years, which contrasts with the excellent image enjoyed by the man who led France more than two centuries ago.”
For 62% of French people, Napoleon I was a good leader. He is mostly seen as the father of current institutions (53%) and the one who raised France to make it a great power (43%). Historians agree in describing him as a visionary who notably introduced the Civil Code in France. However, he was also a dictator. 26% of French people remember his despotic and centralized power and 40% do not forget the millions of deaths caused by his wars. However, it is his glorious legacy that is more remembered: 78% of French people cite at least one positive element against 60% who mention at least one negative element. Once again, these results show “a mixture of historical nostalgia and a desire for strong leadership”, according to the institute.