French confidence rises with title win in Russia, but not Macron's popularity.
Winning the World Cup has turned long-time pessimists into optimists, but it hasn't boosted President Emmanuel Macron's popularity, a poll showed on Tuesday.
PARIS (Reuters) - Winning the World Cup has turned long-time pessimists into optimists, but it hasn't boosted President Emmanuel Macron's popularity, a poll showed on Tuesday.
Around 62 percent of French people surveyed by the Odoxa research institute on July 16, a day after France's thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia in Moscow, said they are now optimistic about the future.
In March 2016, when Odoxa last asked the question, 53 percent of them described themselves as "pessimistic."
Around 82 percent of French people believe that Les Bleus' triumph will strengthen national pride, and 39 percent said the event will have a positive impact on their own morale, according to Odoxa.
But France's second World Cup victory, following their win at home in 1998, did not improve Macron's approval ratings, despite photos of the 40-year-old leader punching the air in celebration of the team's on-field achievements going viral on social media.
Only 39 percent of those surveyed by Odoxa said Macron is a good president, a drop of two percentage points compared to the previous poll on June 26.
"The 2018 victory will not have had the same impact on Emmanuel Macron's popularity as the 1998 victory had on Jacques Chirac's," said Odoxa president Gael Sliman in a statement.
"He may have been genuinely liked in the celebratory atmosphere of the victory, but it's clear that this doesn't change anything about the expectations people have of him on the economic and social fronts."
Even so, the sporting success is good news for the French leader, Sliman said, as it boosts confidence ahead of the austerity measures expected in the budget bill in September.