French president's popularity wanes again: survey

PARIS, march 26 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron's popularity dropped in march, erasing a positive score he had enjoyed in recent months, as the violent "yellow vest" protests had further ignited his critics, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Thirty percent of those questioned by pollster Odoxa approved Macron's performance as president, two percentage points less than in February, while more people than in February gave him a negative score. Odoxa conducted the online poll on march 20 and 21 with 1,001 people.

"The popularity of Emmanuel Macron had been steadily increasing for three months. He had even succeeded to regain the ratings he had before the 'yellow vest' crisis," the pollster said.

But the recent protests and the damage they caused had cast doubt about Macron's leadership among the general public.

On march 16, a group of hardline leftist and anti-capitalist militants, known as Black Blocs, ran amok across Paris torching cars and buildings, looting shops and smashing shop windows in the fanciest shopping districts in Paris, causing shock at home and worldwide.

Police said 60 individuals, including 17 police officers, were wounded during the flare-up of violence, which according to the opposition was the result of the government's laxness and ineffective policing.

The "yellow vest" movement, a nationwide protest against weak economic performance and stagnant income increase under Macron, started as a campaign against a surge in fuel prices in November of 2018. It eventually evolved into a social rebellion, with the protesters demanding the president's resignation.

The weekly "yellow vest" demonstrations have lost some steam but are still posing a stern challenge to France's youngest head of state in the country's modern history.