75% of French disapprove of Macron govt, poll reveals as Yellow Vest rallies simmer

Just 25 percent of the people surveyed by Odoxa and Dentsu Consulting for France Info and Le Figaro said they were happy with the way the government is running the protest-plagued country, while 75 percent disapprove of Macron and the ministers in his cabinet.

This indicates a dramatic loss of popularity for Macron compared to the 59 percent of unhappy citizens in April 2018, according to France Info. The current poll included 1,004 people across the country and was carried out in early January.

Interestingly, the least favorable opinions came not only from low-paid workers and farmers, but also the upper-middle income class.

People are equally dissatisfied with a number of key government officials, including Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, with 54 and 53 percent negative ratings respectively.

Yellow Vest protesters – so called due to the distinctive high-visibility jackets they wear – launched massive rallies across the country in November of last year. At first, the rallies targeted a hike in fuel prices proposed by Macron’s government, which was later dropped in the wake of almost war-like battles between angry protesters and police.

Efforts to pacify the people failed as the Yellow Vest movement quickly snowballed into a wider protest against deteriorating living conditions and social inequality in France.

One of the protest leaders, Eric Drouet, was arrested in Paris late on Wednesday, sparking outcry among his supporters who chanted ‘Dictatorship! Dictatorship!’