More than three quarters of French people are ‘unhappy’ about President Donald Trump’s win in the latest US elections, a new survey shows, even as French far-right politicians welcome the news.
Mr Trump won key battleground states against his Democrat opponent Kamala Harris, sweeping him to a decisive victory on Tuesday, November 5.
Yet, a new survey found that 76% of French people are ‘unhappy’ with the result and have a ‘bad’ opinion of Mr Trump, making the new president one of the least-liked international leaders among the French public.
The survey* was conducted by Odoxa-Backbone Consulting for Le Figaro, and published on November 7.
Respondents aged over 65 appear to be the most hostile to the new American head of state (85%, compared with 66% of 18-24 year-olds). Women (81%) are also more dissatisfied about the result than men (71%).
People at managerial level are more likely to disapprove of Trump (74%) than blue-collar workers (63%). Politically, even those who support French right-wing parties do not necessarily support Mr Trump: 65% of LR (Les Républicain) supporters and 56% of RN (Rassemblement National) supporters disapprove of his election.
Yet, nearly two thirds (62%) of the French people questioned were not surprised by Mr Trump’s re-election. This is in contrast to 2016, when 63% were surprised.
‘Aggressive, racist, dangerous’
More than four fifths (85%) see Mr Trump as “aggressive”, 78% believe he is “racist”, and 77% think he is “dangerous”.
A similar number (81%) believe that the new President lacks honesty. Seven out of 10 French people consider him to be “neither competent nor close to the people”, and more than half (55%) describe him as a “demagogue”.
21% of those polled saw Trump's victory as “the revenge of the middle and working classes on the elites”.
This is an often-cited reason for Mr Trump’s win in the US, with working people believing that their standard of living will now improve, because he is “a business leader who knows how to run the country like a company”, said Véronique Reille Soult, head of Backbone Consulting, to Le Figaro.
International impact
French people appear most worried about Mr Trump’s impact on the international stage. More than three quarters (77%) believe that the United States will not play a positive role in the conflict in Ukraine or in the Middle East (78%).
Mr Trump has said that he will “end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours”, and is a well-known supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
More than 80% believe that the US will “no longer be an ally” or “a privileged partner for France”, particularly when it comes to import taxes. This comes as French wine producers shared concerns over price increases that would arise from potential tariffs on exports to the US.
Similarly, many French people fear the environmental consequences of a new Trump administration. This includes Mr Trump’s promise to withdraw his country from the Paris Agreement global warming pledge, just as he did in 2017.
Improved perception since 2020
However, French people’s view of Mr Trump has improved since 2020, the end of his first term.
Now, 76% of French people do not like Trump, down from 85% in 2020. Nearly half of French people find him more charismatic (48%), up nine points compared to 2020.
‘What a victory’
The French public’s largely disapproving response comes amid a more welcoming view from many far-right French politicians.
Vice-president of the Rassemblement National (RN), Louis Aliot, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “What a lesson for all these Democrats”
During a foreign affairs commission on Wednesday November 6, RN MP Alexis Jolly gave a speech in which he hailed Mr Trump’s win as a “victory”, in his view, for “public policies that are closer to the everyday concerns of American citizens: immigration, security, reindustrialisation”.
Similarly, right-wing MP Eric Ciotti, a minority ally of Marine Le Pen, wrote on X that Mr Trump’s win was “a beacon of hope for the United States…for the world…and for France”.
He took a video of himself holding a red MAGA (Make America Great Again) cap, in which he hailed Mr Trump as a man “against the media system” (although Mr Trump is supported by US channel Fox News and the owner of X, Elon Musk).
Restrained response
Other leading far-right figures appeared slightly more restrained in their response.
Marine Le Pen simply wrote: “Best wishes for success to Donald Trump”, while RN leader Jordan Bardella said that the win highlighted the need for “strategic autonomy” of France and Europe, perhaps in reference to Mr Trump’s plans to impose higher taxes on European imports.
He said: “At a time when geopolitical perils are on the rise, when all the other powers are waging an economic and influence war against Europe, we must now take our destiny into our own hands.”
During her hearing in the European Parliament (where she is currently fighting a case on alleged “misappropriation of public funds”), Ms Le Pen stressed the need for “Europe to wake up…given that the United States is clearly going to defend its own interests even more vigorously”.
In the European Parliament, Mr Bardella heads up the Patriots for Europe group, a far-right party that includes Fidesz, the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and the Spanish Vox group.
On Wednesday, its members wore MAGA caps and filmed a video congratulating Donald Trump. No members of the RN appeared in the clip.
‘Reasons to be worried’
The new poll results perhaps align more closely with the views of former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who was a guest on France 2's 4 Vérités programme on November 7.
He first appeared diplomatic, saying: “It's the sovereign choice of the American people.” However, he did say that “there are reasons to be worried from an economic point of view, since the trade tensions we have seen in recent years will be even greater”.
He also said that Mr Trump could be bad news for the war in Ukraine, and the climate emergency.
He said that France “needs the commitment of the major powers, in particular the United States” on these issues.
*The survey was completed online, by Odoxa-Backbone Consulting for Le Figaro, on a representative sample of 1,005 French citizens aged 18 or over.
How do you feel about Donald Trump's election win? Let us know at feedback@connexionfrance.com
