The National Council for Refoundation disavowed by a majority of French people, according to a poll

Inaugurated this Thursday in Marcoussis (Essonne), the National Council for Refoundation (CNR) is already largely discredited by public opinion. For 56% of French people, it will not be effective in finding solutions to current problems, according to an Odoxa Backbone Consulting survey for Le Figaro. This citizen disavowal adds to a strong rejection of the political class: from left to right, all the opposition parties have declined the invitation to participate in this new body, promised by Emmanuel Macron during the campaign for the legislative elections and supposed to bring together different unions and political organizations.

If the opposition parties thunder with one voice to denounce the CNR, the policy of the empty chair that they have put in place is viewed with a critical eye by the French. 54% of those questioned believe that they were wrong to boycott this meeting, because by discussing with other actors (associations, unions and local elected officials), they could have contributed to finding new solutions.

The feeling of a “quinquennium prevented”

Only supporters of La France Insoumise and the National Rally support this boycott in the majority (58%). “This feeling that we should not give up the possibility of consultation is the majority among supporters of the government parties – 57% of LRs, 58% of EELVs and 50% of PS – who seem to be saying to the leaders of their parties: “Just because it won’t be useless doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go”“, adds Gaël Sliman, president of Odoxa.

Currently, the French people questioned do not have faith either in Emmanuel Macron (35% confidence) or in the opposition (36%) to find solutions to the country’s problems. However, they are in the majority to think that local elected representatives (63%) and citizens’ associations (61%) can achieve this.

Dubious about the projects to come, the French are 63% to think that Emmanuel Macron will not be able to put in place the reforms announced during his campaign. “This feeling of a “quinquennium prevented” is shared by all categories of the population, except Renaissance sympathizers (73% think that it will succeed)“says Gaël Sliman.

(This survey was carried out on a sample of 1,005 French people representative of the French population aged 18 and over, interviewed by internet from September 7 to 8, 2022.)