Macron's Rating Hits Record Low Due to Pension Reform - Poll

PARIS (Sputnik) - French President Emmanuel Macron's popularity has fallen to a record low since he took office, as only 26% of French citizens support him following the implementation of the controversial pension reform, a poll carried out by BVA Group said on Friday.

"[The rating] of the president is at its lowest since 2017, 26% [of French citizens] have a favorable view of him," BVA's survey said.

This is the lowest point since 2017. The last time Macron's rating was at this kind of level was in October 2018, during the Yellow Vests Protests.

Opinions about Macron are "mostly negative" for 32% of French citizens and "very negative" for 41%, the survey said.

In addition, only 36% of French people think that Macron still maintains his authority, while 84% of the polled think that the president is further distancing himself from the people.

Moreover, 63% support further protests against the pension reform. 45% of France's population is enraged by the government's activities, and 38% express their concerns.

However, the poll shows that Macron's electoral base remains faithful to him; 70% of those who supported him during the first round of the 2022 elections still support him.

BVA conducted the poll online for RTL radio station with the participation of 1,002 citizens of France aged 18 and over on April 18-19.

On April 14, the French Constitutional Council approved the key article of the pension reform bill, which would gradually raise the age of retirement from 62 to 64 by 2030. French trade unions called for a general nationwide strike against the reform on May 1.