Confidence in France’s institutions has suffered a dramatic collapse in 2025, accompanied by an unprecedented surge in the desire to leave the country, according to a Gallup study published on Monday.
The findings reveal a deepening sense of disillusionment among French citizens, reflected both in statistical data and in the personal stories of those who have already left or are considering doing so.
Julien, a restaurant entrepreneur who left Paris in December, said his decision was driven by a mix of economic pressure and emotional exhaustion. Now based in Tbilisi, Georgia, he told Euronews he no longer felt happy in France.
At his Paris restaurant, Julien noticed a sharp decline in customers over the past year. Rising living costs meant fewer people could afford to eat out or shop as they once did, he explained.
Beyond falling revenues, he cited a “monstrous tax burden”, a lack of opportunities for entrepreneurs, and what he described as a generally “very bad atmosphere” in the country.
Antoine, an engineer working in Paris’s luxury goods sector, shares similar concerns, even though he has not yet emigrated. Born and raised in the capital, he says he still loves the city but feels an increasing urge to leave.
After spending time in Canada, Antoine said he rediscovered a sense of acceptance and social cohesion that he feels has faded in France. He lamented what he described as growing hostility between people.
Despite holding a management position, Antoine said he has reached a financial dead end. Without inherited wealth, he believes buying a home or even remaining in his hometown has become unrealistic.
These individual experiences reflect a broader national trend. According to Gallup, 27% of adults in France say they would move abroad permanently if given the chance, up from just 11% last year.
The surge is one of the sharpest increases recorded globally since Gallup began measuring emigration intentions in 2007, placing France among the countries with the most dramatic annual rises.
At the same time, confidence in the national government has plunged to 29%, down 13 points in a single year. Trust in the judicial system and financial institutions has also declined sharply.
Gallup noted that no other EU member state experienced a comparable average fall across these indicators in 2025. Senior editor Benedict Vigers said such levels of volatility are highly unusual for France.
Since President Emmanuel Macron took office in 2017, confidence in institutions had generally improved. That progress, Vigers said, has now been wiped out in just 12 months.
Political instability has played a central role in this erosion of trust. Since the surprise dissolution of parliament in June 2024, successive prime ministers have struggled to govern without a clear parliamentary majority.
Repeated censure motions over budget proposals have fuelled political paralysis, further weakening public confidence in leadership and governance.
Macron’s personal approval rating has also suffered. Gallup reports it has fallen to 28% in 2025, an all-time low compared with 61% during his first year in office.
Economic pessimism compounds the political crisis. Nearly 67% of French people believe their personal situation is deteriorating, while only 21% see improvement.
France has ranked among the OECD’s most economically pessimistic countries since 2015, second only to Greece.
For Adèle, who moved from Lyon to Leipzig in 2024, the decision was also about opportunity. She said changing careers from law to illustration felt discouraged and stigmatised in France.
In Germany, she found more flexible and supportive career pathways. Yet her ties to France remain strong, and she admits to frequent nostalgia.
Others have chosen to return. Hadrien and Sophie, bankers who came back to Paris after several years in Toronto, argue that France still offers a balanced quality of life.
Gallup’s findings underline a clear link between institutional distrust and emigration intentions. Nearly half of those with low confidence in institutions say they want to leave France.
With Macron’s final term ending in 2027, rebuilding public trust now stands as one of the most urgent challenges facing France’s future leadership.