Macron's popularity creeps up thanks to approving older folk

French President Macron's popularity has got a bit of a boost since the school year started last week, with a poll on Wednesday putting his approval rating at 40 percent. However a majority of French are still dissatisfied with the head of state, whose Prime Minister, Jean Castex, saw his popularity take a dip.

French President Emmanuel Macron and French Prime Minister Jean Castex are hoping to increase their approval ratings ahead of presidential elections in April, 2022. REUTERS - CHRISTIAN HARTMANN

Pollster Ipsos, who carried out the survey for news magazine Le Point, found Macron had benefited from a 1 point increase since July, while Castex dropped 2 points to 33 percent.

Seven months out from presidential elections, Ipsos said Macron remained in a “much better position” than his two predecessors at the same stage of their five-year terms.

In September 2016, one-term president François Hollande had a dismal approval rating of 15 percent, while in September 2011 Nicolas Sarkozy, now the subject of corruption allegations, managed a rating of only 35 percent.

📈 Baromètre politique Ipsos-@LePoint : avec 40% d'opinions favorables, #EmmanuelMacron est en meilleure posture que #FrançoisHollande (15%) et #NicolasSarkozy (35%) au même stade de leur quinquennat.
Découvrez tous les résultats ➡️ https://t.co/562U9GlRXd

— Ipsos France (@IpsosFrance) September 8, 2021

Older people more impressed

The slight increase in Macron’s popularity was thanks, in particular, to people aged 60 years and over – nearly half of whom felt he was going a good job. 

That jump of 10 points, however, was offset by a decline of 6 points in approval from the under 35 age group.

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Elsewhere in the world of French political heavyweights with their eye on the presidentials, former prime minister Edouard Philippe, now Mayor of Le Havre, came out on top with 47 percent of favourable opinions, ahead of former ecology minister Nicolas Hulot, on 44 percent.

Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot amassed a popularity of 37 percent, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo got 26 percent, while far right leader Marine Le Pen got a 28 percent tick of approval.

The online survey was carried out on 3 and 4 September among 1,000 people aged 18 and over.