France's new Prime Minister Francois Bayrou

PARIS, Dec 22, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - France's new Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who is still scrambling to name his government before Christmas, faced a fresh challenge Sunday: a historically low poll rating.

Even before he has properly started his job, a new poll carried out by Ifop for the French weekly Journal du Dimanche found 66 percent of respondents were unhappy with his performance.

Only 34 percent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their new head of government.

Going back decades to 1959, Ifop said it had not seen such a low rating for a prime minister getting started in the job.

They questioned 2,004 people representative of the French population between December 11 and 18.

Bayrou is the sixth prime minister of President Emmanuel Macron's mandate, and the fourth of 2024. Each has served for a shorter period than the last one.

Bayrou's predecessor Michel Barnier was France's shortest-serving premier, lasting only three months.

Appointed on December 13, Bayrou has yet to submit his cabinet choices to Macron.

But he told France 2 television on Friday that he hoped his new team would be finalised over the weekend or "in any case before Christmas".