Watch live: France holds Bastille Day military parade as Macron announces boost in defence spending
Macron called for €6.5 billion euros in extra military spending in the next two years because of new and unprecedented threats ranging from Russia to nuclear proliferation, terrorists and online attacks. That would be double the 32 billion euros in annual spending when he became president in 2017.
France marks Bastille Day annually with a military parade through Paris and celebrations around the country.
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European countries announce $1 bn purchase of US weapons for Ukraine
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No, French President Emmanuel Macron's approval rating is not 7%
A poll doing the rounds on social media claims that only 7% of French citizens trust President Emmanuel Macron. Politicians from the French far-right National Rally (RN) party are among the most prominent figures sharing the post. "93% of French people are lucid, thankfully", wrote Bruno Bilde, who serves as a member of the National Assembly for the National Rally. Fellow MP and RN member Julien Odoul asked his followers: "Who are these 7% of fanatic Macronistes?" Checking recent polls In late July, a poll commissioned by French broadcaster LCI said Macron's approval rating was 28%, while a recent survey published by newspaper Les Echos put it at 21%. Although pollsters use different methods, which can lead to inconsistent results, these latest surveys from reputable sources suggest that 7% is a suspiciously low percentage. A closer look at the top-right corner of the image circulating online reveals the logo of Le Figaro: a French conservative daily newspaper. EuroVerify did not detect any social media posts where Le Figaro stated that Macron's approval rating was 7%. However, we did find a near identical post by Le Figaro shared on X in October 2024, yet here Macron's trust rating was 17% — not 7%. The original image posted by Le Figaro has been manipulated, as the number "1" preceding the "7%" has been erased, in a bid to deceive online users. Dwindling trust in Macron Although the French population's trust in their president may not be as low as 7%, confidence in Macron has dwindled, especially over the course of his second term. This has been influenced by a range of factors, including his dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024 after the far-right surged in the European elections, as well as his government's more recent plans for 2026 budgetary cuts. The next French presidential elections are set to take place in 2027; however, the country's constitution bars Macron — who has remained vague about his future plans — from running again.
