The European Union faces growing unpopularity in France, potentially turning the 2027 presidential election into a vote for or against Europe, as outlined in a Le Monde column by Françoise Fressoz. Pro-European parties struggle to reach voters amid voices like Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Only 38 percent of French people hold a positive view of the EU, according to a recent survey.
Françoise Fressoz, an editorialist at Le Monde, highlights in her column that the European Union's unpopularity in France fuels extremist politics. This could turn the 2027 presidential election into a referendum on Europe, even as the need for European protection has never been greater.
Representatives of pro-European parties struggle to reach the popular electorate, facing the tribune power of Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon. A portion of the Republican right now challenges the supremacy of certain European treaties over national law, similar to the Rassemblement national. France, a founding member of the EU, is experiencing a deep crisis in this regard.
According to the Eurobarometer survey published on February 4, only 38 percent of French people maintain a positive image of European integration, and 53 percent view EU membership as 'a good thing,' compared to a 62 percent European average. The 17th wave of the Political Trust Barometer by OpinionWay shows that just 9 percent of French respondents believe more powers should be given to the EU to solve France's problems. This national withdrawal trend is more pronounced than in Italy, Germany, or the United Kingdom.
Fressoz notes that some arguments against the euro have proven unfounded. Contrary to Philippe Séguin's fears in 1992 during the Maastricht referendum, the single currency did not negate politics. Similarly, France did not submit to the 'German ordoliberalism' criticized by Jean-Luc Mélenchon in 2005. The euro prevented humiliating devaluations of the franc and allowed France to sustain a generous and deficit-prone social system, unique in Europe. As a result, returning to the franc is no longer a priority for either the RN or La France insoumise.
