Down and then out in Paris and London? Why Starmer isn’t the only one with a popularity problem
As continent faces tough headwinds, leaders are bearing brunt of delivering bad news to frustrated electorates
TL;DR
- Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Friedrich Merz have some of the lowest approval ratings among major European leaders.
- Economic challenges, including Europe's declining share of global output and slower growth rates compared to the US, are contributing factors.
- Leaders are facing headwinds such as the need to reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels and the rise of China.
- The inability of leaders to convince populations that necessary 'pain' is justified due to global turmoil is impacting their popularity.
- Some leaders, like Denmark's Mette Frederiksen, have managed to maintain popularity by addressing issues like immigration and benefiting from long-term planning, such as renewable energy investment.