French National Rally (RN) heavyweight Marine Le Pen and her party leader Jordan Bardella have shot up the Top 50 list of France’s most favourite personalities for 2024.
Journal du Dimanche‘s (JDD) latest annual Top 50 ranking, published on January 4, saw Bardella enter the top 10 with Le Pen one place behind. They are the only politicians featured.
Le Pen jumped more than 50 places on her placing in the 2023 list, marking the strongest year-over-year increase of any personality.
According to Frédéric Dabi, a French political analyst and managing director of the Ifop polling institute, which performed the survey, Le Pen’s top ranking indicated “a seismic shift in how the public perceives Marine Le Pen”.
“She embodies a kind of anchor point for the French; we observed this during the analysis of RN voters last June: her personal image traits — friendly, reassuring, protective — far surpass the political issues she champions, such as acknowledging failure, offering an alternative, or rebuilding immigration policy,” he said.
“She has regained the presidential stature she had partially lost … in 2017.”
Bardella, who rose 20 places compared to 2023, is said to be popular among young people. He also looked to have benefited from having run strong national campaigns in the European and national elections, together with the November release of his book and related promotional tour.
Number one on the latest Top 50 list list was singer-songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman. He was followed by actor Omar Sy and Teddy Riner, a successful French heavyweight judoka who won gold at the Paris Olympics.
According to JDD, the personalities “embody positive values with which the French easily identify”, with many at the top typically projecting a more “down-to-earth” image.
The annual ranking surveys 1,000 French citizens who select their 10 favourite personalities from a curated list of 100 names. The methodology has remained consistent for 36 years, with the survey taking place in late December each year.
75% of French call #Macron a ‘bad’ President.
Currently, only 25 per cent of French people said they regarded Macron as a good President. According to data from Odexa, his support has shrunk to his core electoral base.
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