Macron's Approval Rating Increases 4 Points in Latest Poll

French President Emmanuel Macron’s approval rating has risen to 27 percent, up 4 points since December, when he suffered a severe drop in popularity after the Yellow Vest protests took hold.

Macron’s rating has improved from his low set last month, according to the survey by Ifop for Journal du Dimanche. He avoided dropping as low as 20 percent, a record low for a French president that was set by his Socialist predecessor Francois Hollande.

The French president has announced a series of welfare measures to help those who protested across the country against the decline of their purchasing power and rising government taxes on fuel and pensions. Faced with repeated demonstrations in the past few months, Macron has launched a “Grand National Debate” to convince protesters he’s not an out of touch elitist and to qualm their anger ahead of European elections in May.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe’s approval rating dropped 1 point to 30 percent, according to the Ifop survey. Ifop polled 1,928 people aged at least 18 by phone and online on Jan. 11-19.