his supporters not to abandon him in the next election. Many in Hollande’s own party have

called him a traitor, and sought unprecedented measures to field a new candidate in 2017.

Meanwhile, his overall approval rating has slumped to 14 percent, making him the most

unpopular president in the country’s history. So, why is Hollande so unpopular?

Well, despite temporary spikes after the Charlie Hebdo and November terrorist attacks in Paris,

Hollande’s approval rating has stayed consistently low, ranging anywhere from 12 to 50 percent

Hollande stands firmly in France’s far-left Socialist party, however he has been criticized

on all sides of the political spectrum for his perceived indecisiveness and lack of authority.

Hollande is also blamed for France’s weakening economy and stubbornly high unemployment rate,

which in 2016 hit ten percent. Some attribute this to France’s outdated labor code, which

protects workers unions, job security, and the famous 35-hour work week. Many high ranking

officials, including Hollande, as well as the European Commision, consider France’s

labor laws to be ultimately harmful to the country’s economy. To combat this, Hollande’s

administration introduced a bill which would weaken those worker protections. The reforms

proved to be wildly unpopular, as the country’s labor code is seen as a sacred representation

of its core values. In early 2016, thousands took to the streets and social media to protest

the reform, many of whom represent Hollande’s target voter demographic: leftist youths.

Perhaps the biggest blow to Hollande’s popularity was his infamous “nationality law”, which

would have stripped citizenship from dual nationals who were convicted of terrorism.

The proposed constitutional amendment was a direct response to the November 2015 terror

attacks in Paris, as a majority of the known attackers held French citizenship. But many

French officials, including those in Hollande’s administration, opposed the amendment, arguing

that it was a direct contradiction to France’s principles for equal protection laid out in

their constitution. After little support in the senate, the initiative failed, and Hollande

himself eventually withdrew support for it. Some have called this series of events a point

of no return for many of his supporters.

Hollande’s unpopular presidency, coupled with a string of terror attacks and a dwindling

economy, has paved the way for the country’s far-right National Front party to gain support.

During the first round of regional elections in 2015, the National Front won nearly 30

percent of the vote, an all-time high for an anti-EU and anti-immigration party. This

has led many on the left fearing that the National Front’s radical leader, Marine

Le Pen, could have a shot at winning the 2017 election. Although experts say this is unlikely

given Le Pen’s radical stances on immigration and Islam, it’s safe to say that the future

of France remains unclear.

National Front is just one of many right wing groups gaining power and popularity in europe,

find out what some of the other major extreme right parties are, and how they’ve come

to power. Thanks for watching Seeker Daily, don’t forget to like and subscribe for new

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