Emmanuel Macron's trip to Africa: the French skeptical

Six out of ten French people believe that the French presence in Africa is important, but they are also numerous to be pessimistic for the future and to doubt Emmanuel Macron's ability to establish "a new balanced, reciprocal and responsible

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These are the main lessons of the latest Odoxa Backbone Consulting survey carried out for

when the Head of State has just started a four-day tour of four African countries.

A clear majority believes that the French presence in Africa is important for the defense of French economic interests (61%), for development aid (60%), the security of the African continent (58%), the cultural influence of France (57%) and the fight against illegal immigration (56%).

The priority given to economic issues echoes the will displayed by Emmanuel Macron during his speech at the Élysée Palace on Tuesday February 28, in a context where other countries are advancing openly, in particular Russia, China, Turkey and the United States.

The need to be present in Africa to fight against illegal immigration is important for 56% of French people, but this figure hides a strong political divide: only 37% of LFI supporters and 44% of those of EELV share this opinion. , against 60% of socialist sympathizers, 55% of LR and RN sympathizers and 72% of Renaissance sympathizers, notes Odoxa.

Along with the importance given to the issues, the French express a clear majority (62%) of their pessimism for the future of relations between France and Africa.

This feeling even reaches 73% among RN sympathizers, 72% among LFI sympathizers and 69% among French people aged 50 and over.

“Probably more waiting for effective changes than for a voluntarist speech”,

notes Erwan Lestrohan, consulting director at Odoxa, 60% of French people indicate that they do not have confidence in Emmanuel Macron to set up a new balanced relationship and steady.

Distrust is particularly clear among supporters of LFI (76%), RN (75%), PS (67%) and EELV (66%).

Conversely, Renaissance sympathizers believe in the president's success in this endeavor (86%), as well as the almost majority of LR sympathizers (47%) and French people aged 65 or over (47%).

It should be noted that the younger generations are more positive on this subject, with 55% of those under 25 and 46% of those aged 25-34 saying they are indeed optimistic.

Military withdrawal validated

Asked to comment on the causes of anti-French sentiment or hostility expressed in certain African countries, the French place in first position, clearly ahead of other possible reasons, the colonial past of France (56%) .

This feeling largely dominates among LFI (68%), PS (62%) and EELV (67%) sympathizers.

Only 37% of French people believe that hostility to France is due to propaganda from Russia and China, although this opinion is in the majority among Renaissance (53%) and LR (50%) sympathizers.

Finally, the attitude of African leaders (32%) and France's recent action in Africa (25%) are mentioned less often.

This echoes

notes Erwan Lestrohan.

In this context, 61% of French people approve of the gradual withdrawal of the army announced by Emmanuel Macron, considering that France must give up its military presence if Africans do not want it.

Only 36% of them believe that Paris must maintain its military presence in Africa to fight against jihadism, even if it should be noted that the Head of State's supporters express a contrary opinion, 54% of Renaissance sympathizers advocating a military presence, as well as 56% of LRs.

On social networks,

underlines Véronique Reille Soult, CEO of Backbone Consulting.

objectives

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