France, Jan. 2 -- Macron's second and final term expires in 2027, and the search for his successor within the presidential camp remains unresolved.

His party, Renaissance, still dominates the governing alliance Ensemble, but enthusiasm has dwindled.

Macron's approval ratings are low, hovering in the 20s. It reflects weariness with a presidency marked by pension reform protests, tensions over immigration and a reputation for technocratic detachment.

According to opinion pollster Gallup, based on its annual surveyof public faith in institutions,trust in the French government dropped 13 percentage points to 29 percent in 2025, while confidence in the honesty of elections fell by the same margin to 51 percent.Trust in the judicial system a...