Emmanuel Macron's popularity rating has fallen to an all-time low

Macron is facing backlash against his bill to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Credit: DANIEL COLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Emmanuel Macron's approval rating fell to an all-time low on Friday as nearly two-thirds of French people support ongoing protests against his unpopular pension reforms.

Support for the French president has fallen to 26 percent, according to a BVA poll for RTL radio released on Friday, the lowest level in his two terms to date that has not been seen since more than the start of the yellow vest uprising. four years ago.

Macron, 45, went on a «100-day tour» of France this week in an attempt to «calm down» the country just two days after signing a bill to raise the retirement age from 62-64. The law has just received the approval of France's constitutional council.

He also gave a speech to the nation on Monday, saying he heard public anger and calling on France to rally around new measures in areas such as health, law and order and the environment.

The President proceeded to '100 days' tour of France this week in an attempt to «calm down» the country Photo: DANIEL COLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

However, a BVA poll found that the speech did not make much of an impression on public opinion.

About 74% of those polled said that the head of state was wrong to promulgate the law so quickly, despite fears that the move would cause «social anger.»

The poll showed that 69% of French people were not convinced by Mr. Macron's speech in which he once again argued that his pension reform was an electoral promise, the only way to avoid future deficits for the public system and in line with other European countries.

Some 73% see his goal of restoring calm and focusing on other issues as «unrealistic», while 74% say it's not enough to jump-start his difficult second term.

Macron's poll

Meanwhile, the number of French people who supported more protests against the bill, despite the fact that it was passed, rose by three points in a month to 63%.

However, agreement that the law will not cancelled, increased by eight points to 24 percent.

A small sign of support for Mr. Macron is that the level of anger fell by three points to 45 percent.

Protesters banging pots and pans cheered Mr Macron as he traveled to Alsace and Montpellier this week to visit a woodworking factory and school, where many booed and ridiculed him.

Protesters carry flares down the street during a demonstration against pension reform in Paris April 20. Credit: Nathan Lane/Bloomberg

The president said he would continue his tour of France despite the setbacks, saying «I've seen worse.»

Mr Macron's aides hope his trying to reunite with the nation amid the mass rejection of his reforms will pay off, as they did when he went into battle in the midst of the yellow vest uprising against higher green fuel taxes.

He regained his popularity after handed out €10bn (£8.8bn) worth of sweeteners and helped France overcome the Covid pandemic and was also re-elected last year — the first time for a French president not sharing power with a rival prime minister.