"French President Has Lowest Approval Rating at 18%" — Is Macron Really the Most Unpopular World Leader?

"French President Has Lowest Approval

 Rating at 18%" — Is Macron Really the

 Most Unpopular World Leader?

 Emmanuel Macron’s approval rating has plummeted to a dismal 18 percent, making him the least popular major leader on the planet. French voters have grown exhausted with his globalist agenda that prioritizes EU bureaucracy and open borders over the needs of everyday citizens.

Years of unchecked immigration, stifling regulations, and green energy fantasies have fueled economic stagnation, rising crime, and cultural erosion across France. What began as slick progressive promises has delivered only chaos and discontent for the working class.

Leaders who ignore their own people in favor of international elites always pay the price. Macron’s collapse serves as a stark warning: conservative principles of sovereignty, secure borders, and economic freedom remain the only path to restoring national strength and public trust. The Republican Army post is simple and stark: Emmanuel Macron at 18%, the lowest of any world leader.
That number is real — but the "lowest in the world" claim needs context. Let's look at what the polls actually say in 2026.
The 18% figure: where it comes fromMultiple French pollsters recorded Macron at or near 18% between December 2025 and January 2026:
Ipsos, Dec 10-12 2025: 18% approve, 77% disapproveElabe, Jan 7-8 2025: 18% approve, 76% disapproveIpsos BVA/CESI, Jan 18 2026: 18% approve, 79% disapprove — called a "record low" By January 27 2026, Odoxa found him at 23% approve, 77% disapprove. So the range is 18-23% to start 2026. 
The post rounds to 18%, which matches the December-January lows.
Is he "the lowest world leader"?Not quite, but close. Morning Consult's "Global Leader Approval Rating Tracker" for March 2-8, 2026 puts Macron at 17% approve, 75% disapprove. 
That was second-lowest among the 22 leaders tracked. Only a few others were near him:
Leader
Approve
Disapprove
Narendra Modi (India)
68%
26%
Donald Trump (US)
39%
54%
Keir Starmer (UK)
24%
68%
Emmanuel Macron (France)
17%
75%

So "one of the lowest" is accurate. "The lowest" depends on which countries you count. Leaders like Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela) or Kim Jong Un aren't polled by Morning Consult. Among major democracies, Macron was bottom-tier in Q1 2026.
Why did he hit 18%?Macron's popularity has been volatile since 2017. The main drivers of the 2025-2026 collapse:
Budget and pension fights. France's deficit hit 6.1% of GDP in 2024. PM Michel Barnier's austerity budget triggered no-confidence votes. Macron then appointed Sébastien Lecornu, who survived political turmoil over the 2026 budget.Post-election weakness. After snap legislative elections in 2024, Macron lost his majority and governs with a fractured assembly. He cannot pass laws without ad-hoc deals.Base erosion. Ipsos noted a 10-point drop among supporters of his own allies — Renaissance, MoDem, Horizons — with only 52% still backing him.Security and immigration. 2022 saw a record 320,000+ new foreigners arrive in France. Right-wing figures like Jordan Bardella (35% approval) and Marine Le Pen (33%) now poll far above Macron."Arrogance" narrative. Since the 2018 Benalla affair and Yellow Vests, a core of voters sees Macron as disconnected. The sentiment hardened after he raised the retirement age without a parliamentary vote in 2023. Historical context: he's been lower than HollandeMacron's 18% is bad, but not unprecedented in France. François Hollande bottomed at 13% in 2016. Jacques Chirac hit 16% in 2006. The French presidency often sinks in year 7-8 of a term.
Macron started at 62% in 2017, fell to 25% during the Yellow Vests in late 2018, rebounded to 50% during early COVID, then declined steadily after his 2022 re-election. 
Who is more popular than him in France?The January 2026 Ipsos BVA poll had other figures higher:
Gérald Darmanin, Gabriel Attal, Édouard Philippe: 21-22%Jordan Bardella (National Rally): 35%Marine Le Pen: 33%PM Sébastien Lecornu: 33% in Odoxa poll vs Macron's 23% So Macron is less popular than his own PM and several opponents.
Does 18% matter constitutionally?No. France has no recall mechanism. Macron's term ends in May 2027 and he is term-limited. Low approval makes governing harder — he relies on Article 49.3 to pass budgets without votes — but he cannot be forced out by polls.
The risk is legislative paralysis and EU influence. France co-leads the EU with Germany, and a weak Macron emboldens Le Pen and Mélenchon ahead of 2027.
Bottom lineThe Republican Army meme is correct on the number: Macron hit 18% in multiple Dec 2025-Jan 2026 polls. 
"Lowest world leader" is close but not definitive — he was 2nd-lowest among 22 major democracies tracked by Morning Consult in March 2026 at 17%, above only a few unlisted leaders. 
Why it matters: 18% approval means Macron governs without a mandate. With riots over pensions behind him, budget fights ahead, and 2027 elections looming, France is in a lame-duck presidency with two years left.
The post uses it to argue that globalist, centrist leaders are collapsing. The data says Macron is deeply unpopular at home. It doesn't say what replaces him — but Bardella at 35% suggests French voters are looking right, not left, for the answer.