President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to dissolve the Assemblée Nationale on June 9 is perhaps among the most misunderstood and unpopular of the Fifth Republic: 67% of those polled in the electoral survey by Ipsos for Le Monde, the Fondation Jean Jaurès, the political research center at Sciences Po and the Institut Montaigne (carried out from July 26 to August 1 among a representative sample of 11,204 people, using the quota method) found it to have negative consequences for France.

In a rare show of unanimity, those sampled – whether they support one party or not – predominantly, if not overwhelmingly, support this position. Furthermore, 58% of those surveyed who say they are close to the presidential coalition, share this opinion.

Against a backdrop of widespread distrust of politicians (no single figure has more favorable than unfavorable opinions), Macron’s situation is particularly bad. He is the second political figure (behind radical-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, far ahead) whose performance in recent times is judged most unfavorably by those polled: 69% disapprove. Even more significant: 51% of survey participants are in favor of the president’s resignation, including 29% who are very much in favor.

Before getting there, a very large majority of those surveyed agree that Macron should play a much less important role in the new political situation he himself created with the dissolution of the Assemblée Nationale: 73% believe that the president should stick to the role of a neutral arbitrator who facilitates negotiations between political parties. More surprisingly, even supporters of the presidential coalition (63%) want Macron to limit himself to the role of a neutral arbitrator. As the survey was carried out during the first week of the Olympic Games and the political “truce” called for by Macron, the situation has likely deteriorated since.

‘Staggering!’

The rest of the political establishment is however not benefiting from the president’s somewhat loss of influence. “The perception of political leaders is appalling: 85% of opinions are negative,” noted Brice Teinturier, deputy director of Ipsos in France. The Assemblée Nationale fared no better. The legislative body could have been seen as a safe haven, albeit a fractured one, as it has never been so representative, thanks to high election turnout. Indeed, 73% of those polled have no confidence in the Assemblée resulting from the early elections held on June 30 and July 7.

Even on the left, confidence is barely in the majority: 59% among supporters of the radical left La France Insoumise (LFI), 50% for Greens supporters and just 43% for Socialist supporters. “There’s no government, no prime minister, a president criticized for what he did – dissolution – and what he didn’t do – appoint a prime minister –an Assemblée that generates massive mistrust… It’s staggering!” explained Teinturier.

You have 48.58% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.