Centrist leaders Starmer and Macron confront record disapproval amid rise of the Right
Polls show Macron at 17% approval and Starmer at -42 net, highlighting challenges for Western centrists as populist forces gain ground.
Two of the world's most prominent centrist leaders are facing renewed questions about public support as polls show the lowest approval ratings of their careers. In France, Emmanuel Macron's standing has sunk to a record low, with an Ifop poll placing his approval at 17% following fresh political turmoil in Paris and amid a contest with the National Rally led by Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen.
In Britain, a separate Opinium poll published this weekend put Sir Keir Starmer's net approval at -42%, the same or lower than the score that followed the 2022 collapse of the government. The findings come as Starmer's leadership faces ongoing pressure from opponents on the political right and a difficult public mood ahead of next elections. Among those who voted Labour in 2024, about 41% approve of his performance while 39% disapprove, yielding a narrow positive tilt that observers say is unlikely to be sustained.
The Ifop results show Macron's popularity has slumped to 17% — the lowest level of his two-term presidency, which began in May 2017 — as his government fights back against the National Rally's revival. The poll, conducted 18-19 September among 1,000 French adults, also shows a 14-point drop in Macron's support among voters who re-elected him in 2022. Frédéric Dabi, Ifop's director, said the mood is resistant and unlikely to return to Macron’s fold in large numbers.
The UK data echo a broader picture of weakened support for traditional centrists. Opinium's poll also shows just over half of UK adults (54%) now think Starmer should resign, including 34% of Labour voters. James Crouch, head of policy and public affairs at Opinium, said the numbers place Starmer in a difficult, historically low territory for a modern British prime minister. Separately, a YouGov survey published last week found Starmer with a net favourability of -50, the lowest figure recorded since he became Labour leader in 2020, with 71% of Britons viewing him unfavorably.
A European-wide YouGov poll published previously showed Macron faring somewhat better than Starmer but still negative, with Macron's net favourability at -55% among French adults. By comparison, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stood at -22%, Spain's Pedro Sánchez at -31%, and former U.S. President Donald Trump at -11%.
Across the continent, the message for centrist governance is clear: voters in several Western democracies are placing growing doubts in leaders who campaigned on compromise and reform as populist, right-wing currents gather momentum.