A year after Emmanuel Macron won a second term as president of France, triumphing over Marine Le Pen, his far-right challenger, it appears things are not going according to plan for the diminutive French leader.
In 2017, Macron beat Le Pen 66.1% vs 33.9%
In 2022 (last April), Macron triumphed by a narrower margin (58.6% vs 41.5%)
And now, according to an Ifop poll for Paris Match published on Wednesday, when asked which of the two politicians they prefer, 47% of those interviewed picked Le Pen, while 42% chose Macron.
Le Pen was more popular among women, with 52% picking the two-time presidential runner-up, compared with 41% opting for the French leader.
Within the left-wing Nupes grouping, a majority of supporters of the Communist and France Unbowed parties prefer Le Pen, while backers of the Greens and Socialists favor Macron.
Since a series of nationwide strikes and protests against Macron’s plan to raise the minimum retirement age began in mid-January, Le Pen has adopted a discreet stance and fell short of urging her supporters to join the movement, saying they were free to make their own choice.
More than two-thirds of the French polled ‘disapprove’ of Macron…
In a separate poll of 1,002 adults on March 28-29 by Ifop for Paris Match, 58% said Le Pen understands their concerns and 57% that she’s attached to democratic values, while 52% consider her to be competent and 51% capable of reforming the country.
She has the stature of a president, according to 47% of those surveyed.
The next presidential election is in 2027, when Macron won’t be able to run because of term limits.
This post was originally published at Zero Hedge