No, French President Emmanuel Macron's approval rating is not 7%

A poll doing the rounds on social media claims that only 7% of French citizens trust President Emmanuel Macron. 

Politicians from the French far-right National Rally (RN) party are among the most prominent figures sharing the post.

"93% of French people are lucid, thankfully", wrote Bruno Bilde, who serves as a member of the National Assembly for the National Rally. Fellow MP and RN member Julien Odoul asked his followers: "Who are these 7% of fanatic Macronistes?"

Checking recent polls

In late July, a poll commissioned by French broadcaster LCI said Macron's approval rating was 28%, while a recent survey published by newspaper Les Echos put it at 21%.

Although pollsters use different methods, which can lead to inconsistent results, these latest surveys from reputable sources suggest that 7% is a suspiciously low percentage.

A closer look at the top-right corner of the image circulating online reveals the logo of Le Figaro: a French conservative daily newspaper.

EuroVerify did not detect any social media posts where Le Figaro stated that Macron's approval rating was 7%. However, we did find a near identical post by Le Figaro shared on X in October 2024, yet here Macron's trust rating was 17% — not 7%.

The original image posted by Le Figaro has been manipulated, as the number "1" preceding the "7%" has been erased, in a bid to deceive online users. 

Dwindling trust in Macron

Although the French population's trust in their president may not be as low as 7%, confidence in Macron has dwindled, especially over the course of his second term.

This has been influenced by a range of factors, including his dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024 after the far-right surged in the European elections, as well as his government's more recent plans for 2026 budgetary cuts. 

The next French presidential elections are set to take place in 2027; however, the country's constitution bars Macron — who has remained vague about his future plans — from running again.