Down and then out in Paris and London? Why Starmer isn't the only one with a popularity problem

"The recent disastrous set of local election results in the UK built on Keir Starmer's longstanding reputational problem: only 11% of Britons believe he has been a good or great prime minister, and nearly 60% believe he has been poor or terrible, according to polling by YouGov. Little wonder that a large number of his colleagues are seeking to drag him out of Downing Street despite being in power for less than two years."

"But the startlingly frank adviser quoted above was not talking to Starmer but instead to France's president, Emmanuel Macron. The no-nonsense newspaper article was not about the British prime minister but the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz. Starmer is unpopular. According to Statista, just 27% approve of him, and 65% do not, with 8% said to be unsure."

"But the numbers are even more dire for both Merz (19% approve, 76% disapprove and 5% did not know) and Macron (18% approve, 75% disapprove, 7% don't know). Starmer may be facing the final days of his premiership after less than two years, while Macron is about to leave the Elysee Palace after 10 years."

"The three largest economies in Europe are being led by leaders who are regarded by their people with something close to contempt, the polling suggests, but then few incumbents on the continent are bucking this trend. The Austrian chancellor, Christian Stocker, is widely regarded as being an ineffective leader of his coalition. Jonas Gahr Stre, whose Labour party in Norway has been buffeted by all manner of scandals, has a disapproval rating that is only a marginal improvement on that of Starmer."

Polling indicates that many European leaders face strong public dislike, with only small shares approving and large shares disapproving. In the UK, Keir Starmer has 11% believing he has been a good or great prime minister, while nearly 60% view him as poor or terrible. Approval figures are similarly low for Germany’s Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron, both showing around one-fifth approval and roughly three-quarters disapproval. The pattern extends beyond these leaders, with Austria’s Christian Stocker seen as ineffective, Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre affected by scandals, and Belgium’s Bart De Wever associated with strict budget cuts, pension reforms, and tax increases to address public debt.

Read at www.theguardian.com