A new poll has revealed that an overwhelming majority of French people believe the security situation in France has deteriorated in recent years, with just less than one in three respondents having reported that they trust President Emmanuel Macron on security issues.
The opinion survey, carried out by the research and consulting firm Elabe Institute, discovered that 67% of people living in France say they are sometimes or often worried about their personal safety, with 68% of respondents saying that the security situation in the country has degenerated in recent years, the French news outlet BFMTV reports.
A difference in sentiment was observed between France’s right-of-center voters and its left-liberal voters. For instance, while 97% of supporters of Éric Zemmour and 87% of those supporting Marine Le Pen reported “sometimes” or “often” being worried about their safety, 50% Jean-Luc Mélenchon voters and 75% of Macron voters said the same thing.
The poll also showed that a significant majority (61%) of French people think the government ought to make it a priority to take action to reduce the number of attacks on people.
Additionally, 15% of the survey’s respondents reported having been the victims of aggression, street theft, or burglary in the last two years, with 29% saying they have a loved one who has been a victim.
Lastly, only 30% of French people trust President Macron on security issues, well below the 38% that said they trust Marine Le Pen’s ability to keep the country safe and secure. The difference is especially stark among workers, with 49% trusting Le Pen and just 24% trusting Macron.
Even among Macron’s voters, more than half (53%) consider the government’s actions to secure civilians to be ineffective.
