Macron's popularity hits record low

French President Emmanuel Macron's popularity fell further in September, adding to the troubles his administration faces following the departure of high-profile ministers and a summer scandal over his bodyguard, a poll showed yesterday.

Only 29 percent of those surveyed in September said they were satisfied with President Macron, down from 34 percent last month and 39 percent two months ago, the Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche found. The poll showed an overall fall of five points in September compared with August, reflecting the 40-year-old's battle with a series of domestic and foreign setbacks.

The former president François Hollande had an inferior rating of 23 percent at the same time of his term and Sarkozy had a rating of 34 percent. Hollande went on to become so unpopular he was the first president in France's Fifth Republic not to run for re-election.

Macron's popularity is low in most polls. The former investment banker won the 2017 election with 66.1 percent of the vote on a reformist project to modernize the Eurozone's second-largest power, but many voters ranging from conservative pensioners to low-income workers complain his policies mostly benefit companies and the rich.

The president was criticized last week for telling an unemployed man he could easily get a job if he tried.

Macron was dealt a blow earlier this month with the surprise resignation of his environment minister, Nicolas Hulot, a popular former activist and TV presenter. And on Sept. 18 interior minister Gerard Collomb, one of Macron's closest allies, announced plans to run for election as mayor of Lyon in 2020. The Ifop poll was conducted on Sept. 14-22 with a sample of 1,964 people.