As protests escalate, Macron's popularity is dealt a mighty blow

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Mar 2023 18:54

Macron has suffered a substantial drop of eight points since December, according to the Ifop barometer published by Le Journal du Dimanche.

A protester holding a placard that reads "Macron, let us live our retirement" as part of ongoing anti-reform protests (Reuters)

French President Emmanuel Macron is paying a high price for the pension reform as his popularity is plunging during the French protests, a survey on Sunday showed.

70% of respondents reported their dissatisfaction with the French President and his popularity rating fell by four points in the timeframe of one month, according to the Ifop barometer published by Le Journal du Dimanche.

Macron has suffered a substantial drop of eight points since December. The poll showed that only 28% were satisfied, while 70% expressed dissatisfaction with the President.

The conducted poll coincides with the time of the negotiations which led the Elysée to impose unpopular pension reforms through a specific constitutional power, Article 49.3, which allows the government to pass a bill without a vote at the National Assembly after only a deliberation at a Cabinet meeting.

The procedure is currently receiving massive public opposition despite being previously used because it prompts a lot of criticism; the reform is to raise the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 years.

The poll showed that the majority of the French oppose this type of procedure.

“You have to go back to the end of the Yellow Jackets crisis in early 2019 to find comparable levels of unpopularity,” wrote Le Journal du Dimanche commenting on the survey. The Journal also showed dissatisfaction with Macron, which is visible across younger generations including the blue-and-white-collar workers.

169 taken into custody

A total of 169 people were taken into custody across France during Saturday's protests against the pension reform, as cited by the French Interior Ministry.

122 of the 169 arrests took place in Paris, according to the Ouest-France newspaper.

After the city prefecture had banned holding a rally at the Place de la Concorde people began to gather to protest against the pension reform at the Place d'Italie in Paris on Saturday.

Police then began to disperse crowds using batons and tear gas later that day.

The French government adopted the law on raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years by invoking Article 49.3 of the constitution, allowing the bill to get passed without any parliamentary approval, announced French Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, on Thursday.

As the decision sparked riots in the country, people began to demonstrate their disapproval with protests and strikes all across the country. Over 300 people were detained during these protests.

The protests continued through Friday and Saturday with thousands of participants on the streets of Paris.