It is not a love story, but almost. On the front line of the health crisis, Édouard Philippe convinced the French. A last Odoxa survey - carried out for Aviva Assurances, Challenges and BFM Business - published on Thursday testifies to this. While 73% of those polled demand a change in policy, and 64% even want a reshuffle, 65% of them want the Prime Minister to stay on.
What review the scenarios put on the table. A few weeks ago, Emmanuel Macron was thinking of changing the tenant at Matignon to symbolize the start of a new act in his five-year term. But can we get rid of a popular prime minister? Especially since the Head of State is struggling to regain the confidence of the French. 74% of those questioned believe that he will not change "personally" and 69% think that he will not change policy, as he had undertaken during the health crisis.
Philippe supported by the opposition
Significant fact: the sympathizers of the opposition, however often hostile to the executive couple, also wish, in majority, that Edouard Philippe remains in Matignon. Thus, 78% of those questioned close to LR want the Prime Minister to remain, 75% among environmentalists, 61% among socialists, and 60% among the rebels. They were able to listen to the words of the leader of La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon. In early May, he recognized the qualities of “elegant” Edouard Philippe, to better criticize “the bandit” Macron. Finally, only supporters of the National Rally are mostly hoping for a change of prime minister (59%).
The desire to keep Edouard Philippe in Matignon can also be explained by the lack of alternatives. The names mentioned in recent weeks do not convince the French. Whether Bruno Le Maire, Xavier Bertrand or Jean-Yves Le Drian ... The interviewees believe that none would make a "good prime minister" (only 31% think the opposite for the Minister of the Economy, equally with the president of the Hauts-de-France region, and 29% for the Minister of Foreign Affairs).
Supported by the opposition, Edouard Philippe hopes to transform the test in Le Havre where he came out on top of the first round (43.59% of the votes). In the second, he will still have to beat the Communist deputy Jean-Paul Lecoq (35.87% of the votes in the first round), who managed to gather part of the left. A defeat could cut the Prime Minister's momentum.
Survey carried out on a sample of 1,005 French people aged 18 and over interviewed by internet on May 28 and 29, using the quota method. Margin of error from 1.4 to 3.1 points.
