The French president’s rating has sunk to record lows amid a budget deficit.
Thousands marched through Paris on Saturday, demanding the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron and calling for France to leave the EU.
Macron’s approval rating has dropped to the lowest level since he took office in 2017, amid a spiraling budget deficit and growing discontent with his government’s financial policies.
Around 80% of French people say they do not trust Macron, according to a poll conducted for Le Figaro and published on Wednesday.
Trust in Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, the fifth to hold the post in less than two years, has also fallen to record lows.
Protesters carried placards reading “Let’s stop Macron, let’s stop the war” and “Frexit,” a French play on Brexit.
Énorme !
« #MacronDémission » hurlent des milliers et des milliers de Français ce jour dans les rues de Paris à l’appel des Patriotes ! (cf vidéo ⤵️)
Les Français en ont marre : il doit partir ! Parlementaires, reveillez-vous : votez la motion de destitution qui sera déposée… pic.twitter.com/tUa8NWh2cU
— Florian Philippot (@f_philippot) September 6, 2025
The rally was organized by former National Rally politician Florian Philippot and his Euroskeptic party, the Patriots, which opposes arms deliveries to Ukraine and warns against further escalation with Russia.
🚨 🇫🇷 ALERTE VIDÉO : Une grande manifestation de patriotes se déroule actuellement dans les rues de Paris, à l’initiative de Florian Philippot ! Un mot pour les soutenir ? pic.twitter.com/iwvClzwneP
— Wolf 🐺 (@PsyGuy007) September 6, 2025
Left-wing activists and trade unions are planning separate strikes and protests on Wednesday, with the slogan ‘Let’s block everything’.
Bayrou is facing a no-confidence vote on Monday as he seeks support for his proposed budget, with France struggling under a fiscal deficit of 5.8% of GDP – nearly double the EU’s 3% limit. His plan includes cuts to public sector jobs, welfare programs, and pensions, measures the opposition has denounced as prioritizing military spending over social support.
The French government seems more concerned about propping up a Nazi regime in Ukraine and does not care about their own country. And that goes for a few too many countries in Europe plus the UK.