PARIS - A year after his lightning march to power, French President Emmanuel Macron's reformist zeal has endeared him to part of the electorate but polls show him as still unloved by most of the country. - Unpopular rivals -Despite this perceived bout of patience, French voters on the whole view Macron negatively, even though economic growth is rising and unemployment has fallen since the election last May. Before his election Macron's opponents warned that the 40-year-old would struggle to defend French interests in an era of strongman politics. For Elabe pollster Bernard Sananes, with "no victory yet to his name" Macron is still being judged on his goals rather than his results. "The wave of optimism that followed the presidential election is slowly fizzling," Sananes told Les Echos newspaper.

Source: Bangkok Post May 04, 2018 02:03 UTC