Emmanuel Macron was left reeling after a new poll shows the French public trusts Marine Le Pen more on the economy than the French President.
The French leader called snap elections in the wake of his party’s crushing defeat at the hands of Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) during the European elections earlier in June.
Most polls suggest the RN will win the most seats in France’s National Assembly and may well go on to form the next government.
Macron appears to be hoping that the RN will crash the economy if it gets into power, discrediting Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, thereby paving the way for his centrist bloc to secure re-election in the presidential election due in 2027.
However, a survey carried out for the Financial Times by Ipsos show the public has more trust in Le Pen’s economic policies than they do in Macron’s.
Carried out on June 19-20, it found that 25 per cent of respondents had most confidence in Marine Le Pen’s RN to take the correct decisions on economic issues.
That figure comes despite the party’s unfunded tax-cutting and spending plans and its lack of experience in government.
It compares with 22 per cent for the leftwing New Popular Front (NFP) and just 20 per cent for Macron’s Ensemble alliance.
A former Yellow Vest leader told the Express that immigration and its negative impact on the economy remains the most important issue for most voters.
“I still think immigration is the main topic for the French,” he said.
“One out of four thinks that solving this problem is the main issue on an economic level, that a big part of our deficit and debt is coming from there.
“The NFP (the leftist bloc) on the other hand has by far the most expensive program, and Macron we have seen seven years of him (more because he is working for the government since 2012) and we have paid enough to see his cards. RN is reining on ruins.”
He added: “Immigration puts pressure on our social security, housing system and welfare state.
“Immigrants are costing way more than the taxes they pay, not enough of them are working and they are overrepresented in allocations (RSA, family subsidies), cheap state-sponsored housing (HLM), health system (CMU, AME), unemployment insurance etc. And cuts are made everywhere but not on that.”
Macron would have a much reduced influence over economic policy if Le Pen wins the elections.
He would still though oversee foreign and defence policy on a cohabitation with the RN.