According to a poll, Castex acts as a "lightning rod" for Macron

Prime Minister Jean Castex serves as a "lightning rod" for President Emmanuel Macron, but also as a "foil" for his predecessor Edouard Philippe who remains the favorite political figure of the French despite a slight decline for a month, according to the Odoxa-Dentsu barometer Consulting published Tuesday.

A real contrast with Edouard Philippe

"Like a foil or a lightning rod, the unpopular Castex always protects Macron ... much more popular than him," notes the analysis of this survey carried out for France Inter and the regional press, carried out by internet with a sample of 990 French representatives on December 10 and 11, 2020. The president remains practically stable at 42% of favorable opinions, yielding only one point compared to the barometer for the month of November (-1).

If the head of government gains two points to 37% compared to the previous month, he "still caps 5 points below (Mr. Macron), at a mediocre level of 37% of French people believing that he is a good Prime Minister ", he emphasizes.

"Everything happens as if this executive couple were reconnecting with the historical fundamentals of the Fifth Republic where the prime minister had the function of protecting the president's relationship with the French," notes Gaël Sliman, president of Odoxa, who specifies that the 'Castex' image "is hardly flattering": the majority of French people consider him "neither competent (55%), nor dynamic (65%), nor charismatic (73%) and do not see him as a future in politics (72%) ".

The contrast is striking with his predecessor Edouard Philippe, the favorite political figure of the French for the third consecutive month, despite a loss of three points to 48% since November, he who had "systematically stolen the limelight from the president in public opinion" while 'he was in Matignon, recalls the barometer.