Record Low Trust in French Political Institutions Amid Rising Support for Rassemblement National in 2025
Surveys show French trust in political institutions has plummeted to historic lows in 2025, with increasing support for the far-right Rassemblement National amid widespread dissatisfaction.
- • Confidence in Emmanuel Macron and political parties is at historic lows in 2025.
- • Distrust in the National Assembly reached 83% after Lecornu's resignation, with calls for dissolution and Macron's resignation high.
- • Mayors retain relatively high trust among French citizens despite widespread political dissatisfaction.
- • Rassemblement National garners increased support with 22% identifying with the party and 47% viewing it as credible, amid concerns about its impact on democracy.
Key details
A series of recent surveys reveal a profound decline in public trust toward French political institutions and leaders in 2025, coinciding with a notable shift toward the far-right Rassemblement National (RN). Confidence in President Emmanuel Macron has dropped dramatically to 22%, marking a 22-point drop since the 2017 election, while trust in political parties has sunk to just 10%, the lowest level since 2019. The National Assembly faces particularly harsh scrutiny, with distrust rising from 77% to 83% following the resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, and 43% of respondents calling for its dissolution. Moreover, 58% of the population demand Macron’s resignation, underscoring widespread political dissatisfaction (Sources 108905, 108914).
Public perception of politicians is deeply negative, with 87% believing they prioritize personal interests and 66% seeing them as corrupt. Despite this, mayors retain relative trust, with 68% of citizens expressing confidence in local leaders, the highest among political figures in these surveys (Sources 108905, 108914).
Politically, the landscape has shifted notably to the right. The RN now commands identification from 22% of the populace—far exceeding other parties such as the Socialist Party or La France Insoumise, which stand at 8%. The RN’s vision is considered desirable by 38% of respondents, and 47% regard it as credible and capable of governing, levels comparable to traditional right-wing parties. Nevertheless, nearly half of the population continues to associate the RN with dangers to democracy and xenophobia, though these concerns are reportedly at their lowest since 2014. This marks a striking "extreme-rightization" of French political preferences, with 41% identifying as right-leaning compared to 28% on the left, signaling a polarized political climate ahead of the 2027 presidential election (Source 108918).
These findings underscore a deep fracture in French political trust and a turbulent future for the nation’s governance, reflecting both institutional disillusionment and the rise of far-right influence. The surveys were conducted online in early October 2025, sampling thousands of French citizens to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the nation’s political mood (Sources 108914, 108905, 108918).