France's Macron Approval Rate Surges 6 Points to 50%, Poll Shows

(Bloomberg) -- French President Emmanuel Macron's popularity surged six points to 50 percent in one of the fastest approval rating rebounds for French presidents measured by pollster Ifop, according to Paris Match magazine.

Macron, whose rating fell below the 50 percent mark in July, gained most among French conservatives and far-left sympathizers of the France Unbowed political party, according to Ifop. Respondents said the 39-year-old head of state elected in May showed he can reinvigorate the role of the president and represented the country well abroad.

“This is a historical wave,” Frederic Dabi, head of Ifop opinion polls, told Paris Match. While his predecessors Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, who both faced very low approval ratings, enjoyed major surges during their terms of office, none was able to regain popularity and pass back over the 50 percent level, Dabi said.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe gained two points from November to 52 percent. Respondents said he ran government policies properly, according to Ifop.

The Paris-based institute's phone survey conducted Dec. 1-2 questioned 978 respondents aged 18 or more.

To contact the reporter on this story: Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alan Crawford at acrawford6@bloomberg.net, James Kraus

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