Macron’s approval sinks to 16% as PM Sébastien Lecornu slips to 34%

In November 2025, Emmanuel Macron gathers only 16% of satisfied individuals, for the second consecutive month. The proportion of dissatisfied people reaches 84%, with 56% describing themselves as very dissatisfied. The dissolution–2026 budget sequence has crystallized the distrust surrounding Macron's popularity and muddled the presidential narrative. This structural unpopularity reshuffles the situation at Matignon, where Sébastien Lecornu sees his approval rating erode.

Measured by the Ifop–JDD barometer, the November 2025 barometer places Emmanuel Macron at 16% satisfied and Sébastien Lecornu at 34%. Conducted in France from November 13 to 21, the survey confirms an acute mistrust, fueled by the dissolution–2026 budget sequence surrounding Macron’s popularity. The presidential unpopularity now "contaminates" Matignon, a central issue for governability in the coming weeks.

A President at the Floor, a Prime Minister Dragged Down

The Ifop survey on Macron for the JDD sets a clear course: only 16% of the French in metropolitan France declare themselves satisfied with Emmanuel Macron, for the second consecutive time in November 2025. At the same time, Sébastien Lecornu’s popularity slips to 34% satisfied (– 4 points in one month). The snapshot was taken from November 13 to 21, 2025. It concerns a sample of about 2,000 people surveyed online according to the quota method. Furthermore, it records a record level of "very dissatisfied" with the head of state: 56%.

At this stage, the sequence is written in the immediate past: despite reshuffles and calls for compromise, the executive remains weighed down by massive mistrust. Lecornu’s popularity rating remains less rejected than that of the president: the Prime Minister, long perceived as a calming interlocutor, now sees his curve approaching that of the president.

The Lasting Presidential Decline

Since autumn, Macron’s popularity rating has settled at a level of unpopularity for Macron. The 16% satisfied, already measured in October 2025, do not rise. This stability at a low level is all the more striking. Indeed, the share of "very dissatisfied" rises to 56%. This is a sign of hard and lasting rejection. In categories traditionally more favorable to the president, mistrust is also growing, reducing the space for a possible rebound.

In the horizon of historical comparisons, Emmanuel Macron flirts with François Hollande’s record. Indeed, the latter had 13% favorable opinions in September and then November 2014. The mechanism is known: when the base shrinks, oppositions add up their grievances. Consequently, each political event, even minor, becomes costly for the Élysée incumbent.

"Contamination": The Ripple Effect on Sébastien Lecornu

Until now, Sébastien Lecornu embodied dialogue and de-escalation. He remains less rejected than the president: only 25% "very dissatisfied" with him. But the capillarity effect is setting in. For Frédéric Dabi, general opinion director at Ifop, "even the most calming figure of macronism is beginning to be contaminated by presidential unpopularity." This "contamination" partly explains the 4-point drop of the month.

Sébastien Lecornu falls to 34% satisfaction, which is 4 points less in a month. He remains less rejected than the head of state, with 25% 'very dissatisfied', but the gap is narrowing. According to Frédéric Dabi, the presidential unpopularity is now affecting the perception of the Prime Minister. His image of dialogue and appeasement is wavering due to the budget crisis and the lack of a stable majority.
Sébastien Lecornu falls to 34% satisfaction, which is 4 points less in a month. He remains less rejected than the head of state, with 25% ‘very dissatisfied’, but the gap is narrowing. According to Frédéric Dabi, the presidential unpopularity is now affecting the perception of the Prime Minister. His image of dialogue and appeasement is wavering due to the budget crisis and the lack of a stable majority.

In public opinion, the Prime Minister also suffers from accusations of immobility. Moreover, his image as a "Macron man" is deemed too loyal to the head of state. His capital of goodwill does not disappear, but it erodes when the context turns against the executive.

What the French Criticize

The criticisms converge around three axes:

  • the impression of abandoning domestic policy in favor of international crises
  • the responsibility attributed to the president in the political chaos born from the dissolution of the National Assembly
  • persistent economic difficulties (prices, purchasing power, budgetary uncertainties)

These grievances frame the public debate and fuel a climate of weariness. They weigh on the executive couple’s ability to set a narrative and gather beyond its base.

2026 Budget: The Battle That Crystallized Mistrust

The budget campaign acted as an accelerator. The executive defended a 2026 project presented as a compromise. In the National Assembly, the text met with almost unanimous rejection. This illustrates the blockage caused by the dissolution and the absence of a stable majority. In this environment saturated with parliamentary hostility, each concession reinforces the idea of a power more endured than led.

For Sébastien Lecornu, engaged in long-term negotiations, the episode left the imprint of constrained steering. In the public’s eyes, the fine line between ‘staying the course’ and ‘immobility’ becomes difficult to read.

The Ifop–JDD barometer was conducted online from November 13 to 21, 2025, with approximately 2,000 people, using the quota method. The margin of error ranges between 1 and 2.2 points, reminding us that this is a snapshot of opinions at a specific time. With 16% satisfied, Emmanuel Macron is approaching the record measured for François Hollande at 13% in 2014. These figures create a psychological barrier and raise the question of a narrative capable of regaining trust.
The Ifop–JDD barometer was conducted online from November 13 to 21, 2025, with approximately 2,000 people, using the quota method. The margin of error ranges between 1 and 2.2 points, reminding us that this is a snapshot of opinions at a specific time. With 16% satisfied, Emmanuel Macron is approaching the record measured for François Hollande at 13% in 2014. These figures create a psychological barrier and raise the question of a narrative capable of regaining trust.

Box – Methodology and Limits

  • Field: November 13 to 21, 2025
  • Collection mode: self-administered online questionnaire
  • Sample: about 2,000 people, representative of those aged 18 and over (quota method)
  • Key indicators: 16% satisfied for Emmanuel Macron, 84% dissatisfied including 56% "very dissatisfied"; 34% satisfied for Sébastien Lecornu (– 4 points)
  • Margin of error: around 1 to 2.2 points depending on the items

Essential reminder: a survey is a dated snapshot of opinions. The results describe a state at a given moment; they do not predict the future.

Benchmarks – The Hollande Precedent

The record of unpopularity remains attributed to François Hollande, measured at 13% favorable opinions in September and then November 2014. This milestone now serves as a horizon to qualify Emmanuel Macron’s situation.

The comparison has its limits: the economy, the international context, and the structure of the political offer differ. However, it reveals a level of isolation in opinion and the hardening of judgments. Indeed, the category of "very dissatisfied" becomes the majority.

A Two-Speed Trajectory

If we superimpose the curves, the executive seems desynchronized. Indeed, this situation shows a lack of coordination.

  • on the Élysée side, a reduced and little volatile support base
  • on the Matignon side, a credibility capital that resists better but erodes in contact with crises, to the point of now mimicking the presidential slope

This convergence does not mean a perfect identity of judgments. Sébastien Lecornu retains a relative advantage: more "rather satisfied," fewer radical rejections. This gap, if it were to narrow further, would weaken the function of lightning rod traditionally attributed to the Prime Minister. Indeed, this reduction could compromise his protective role.

The Political Springs of the Moment

  • Economic credibility: the budgetary sequence has hardened the lines between the blocs. Late arbitrations feed the idea of a bumpy course.
  • Relationship with the country: a reproach of remoteness returns, against a backdrop of international trips highlighted while the domestic agenda seems fragmented.
  • Dissolution and governability: the variable geometry of votes and compromises maintains an impression of institutional drift.

What Could Happen?

  1. Low stabilization: the executive maintains a limited base as best it can. The opposition remains fragmented and parliamentary balances do not change.
  2. Occasional rebound: a budget agreement or success on a concrete issue can momentarily raise judgments, without reversing the trend.
  3. New erosion: if bad signals accumulate (economy, public order, political blunders), the gap with the Hollande record could narrow further.

In these three scenarios, Sébastien Lecornu’s role remains pivotal: if he becomes a credible intermediary again between the Élysée and the Assembly, he can slow the contamination effect. Conversely, if the perception of alignment prevails, his moderate supporters could in turn shift.

A Psychological Barrier

The level below the 20% mark for Emmanuel Macron, repeated for two consecutive months, acts as a psychological barrier. It structures the reading of events and reshapes the place of the Prime Minister, now exposed. The battle will not be limited to parliamentary negotiations. Indeed, it requires restoring a readable narrative and providing concrete evidence on purchasing power. Moreover, political gestures capable of reducing systemic mistrust are needed.

This article was written by Christian Pierre.