Climate referendum: 64% of French people would not vote

Talk to them about animal suffering, the re-establishment of the ISF or the exit from the European Union and you will arouse a certain interest among the French.

But tell them that Emmanuel Macron wants to include climate protection in the constitution and that will leave them a little skeptical.

To the point of hardly encouraging them to travel if necessary to vote via a referendum.

This is in substance the result of the Ifop survey, carried out for the company Depanneo, which we reveal to you exclusively, while the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, is due to present this Wednesday morning to the Council of Ministers the preliminary draft of law revising article 1 of the constitution to introduce the concept of climate protection and biodiversity.

Only 25% of respondents know what it is

If 60% of French people have heard of this referendum proposal put forward by the Head of State, only a quarter have a precise idea of ​​the subject.

"The notoriety of the referendum is low and this testifies to a lack of communication from the government," said Paul Cébille, opinion analyst at Ifop.

Good news on the other hand for the government: 63% consider “ambitious” the bill prepared by the government to apply the proposals of the citizens' convention on the climate.

Only 36% of French people would consider going to vote if they were asked their opinion on this question.

On the contrary, they would be 49% to come for a referendum devoted to animal suffering, 46% to go and file a bulletin concerning the reinstatement of the wealth tax and 42% to give their opinion on a Brexit à la française.

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"For people to rally around a referendum, we must organize many debates and especially that the issue of the question asked is salient, decrypts Paul Cébille.

However, not only the French do not have a precise idea of ​​the meaning of this vote but they generally have the feeling that the protection of the environment is not debated in society.

"

A reform approved at 79% ...

We know that referendums are always a delicate exercise for a head of state because they can turn into a vote for or against… his person.

Emmanuel Macron will therefore be delighted to note that 79% of French people would be in favor of this reform of the constitution.

60% even feel that it would have a “positive impact on the environment”.

"We still have to convince as many people as possible to vote, but the French are ready to say yes to ecology and to place the protection of biodiversity and the fight against global warming among our supreme values", welcomes Barbara Pompili. , the Minister of Ecology, whom we questioned about this survey.

... but perceived as a "political maneuver"

We must put this semblance of plebiscite into perspective.

Because if 61% see in this measure an “important symbol”, 64% see it “above all a political maneuver” of the Head of State.

"Referendums always seem suspicious in the eyes of public opinion because they are launched by the President and people have the feeling that Emmanuel Macron is thus seeking to green his five-year term and his record by bringing back to him the voters of LREM who had slipped towards EELV in European countries ”, analyzes Paul Cébille.

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Ifop study for Depanneo carried out by self-administered online questionnaire from January 7 to 8, 2021 with a sample of 1,028 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over living in mainland France.