France's Macron reverses setback in approval rating: survey

PARIS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron had reversed a setback in approval rating in December, with half of French voters supported his ruling way and notably appreciated his action abroad, a survey showed on Wednesday.

A BVA poll showed that 52 percent of the 1,199 interviewed said they were satisfied with the president's performance this month, up by six percentage points from November.

Compared to an October survey, Macron gained 10 percentage points, recovering all the points he lost during his first months in office.

Shortly after he won power, Macron was haunted by public anger over labor code reform to make recruitment easier and a row over defense budget cut which forced the country's armed forces chief general Pierre de Villiers to quit his post.

"In an unprecedented way for a president in office who has experienced a setback, Emmanuel Macron sees his popularity rise for the second time in a row and win again the majority," the pollster said.

"His international action is particularly mentioned this month. Many comments refer to the fact that (he) gives back to France the weight in the world and in Europe," it added.

On May 7, Macron defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and became the first French president who doesn't come from one of the country's two mainstream parties.

With the "The Republic on the Move", a party he created in 2016, he is working for a stronger eurozone, further economic openness to strengthen domestic economy and create wider businesses opportunities for millions of unemployed people.

On the international scale, he said respecting neutrality in resolving crisis, stressing the need to talk to all to help restore stability in the zones of conflicts, according to him is crucial to preserve calm at home and protect France's interests.

"The decisions are made for the French. When I act in the European or the international scene, I always do it with one obsession: the interest of France and its values," Macron said in a recent televised interview. Enditem