World
Not-so-well-liked: Who are Europe's most unpopular leaders?
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s approval rating has hit a new low of just 18%, according to a recent survey. In Europe, he is not alone.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s popularity ratings are some of the lowest ever recorded by a German leader at just 18%, according to a survey published in September by Infratest Dimap.
By contrast, long-standing Chancellor Angela Merkel largely enjoyed a median confidence rating of 76% over her 16-year term — with her lowest-ever approval rating dropping to 46% following her open-border policies during the 2016 refugee crisis.
Scholz, who is the head of a deeply divided three-way coalition government, has found his popularity plummet, culminating in his party scoring a low 14% of the vote in the European elections in June — behind both Germany’s major opposition party and fringe parties such as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Although Scholz’s popularity is particularly low, other European leaders are not faring much better, with many of the continent’s most recognisable faces scoring low according to available polling data collected over the past three months in their respective countries.
Why are Europeans upset with their leaders?
Although the measure of each leader’s popularity is often due to circumstances in their own country, Jan Kubik, director of the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies at University College London, told Euronews that a general sense of disappointment with “politics as usual” may be responsible for leader’s generally low ratings in Europe.
“There is a palpable sense of malaise caused by the perception that the world is not in good shape, and nobody knows how to improve the situation,” Kubik said, adding that Europe also has a shortage of “positive visionaries” in its political landscape which is marred by two major wars and increasing popularity of the far-right.
However, some leaders can breathe a sigh of relief that their approval ratings are not much lower than those of their predecessors.
Kubik notes that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has seen trust slowly erode since taking office. However, so far, distrust in him is not as high as it was for the leader of the former ruling Law and Justice, or PiS party, and Tusk’s main political rival, Jarosław Kaczyński.
The gradual erosion of trust in Tusk could be explained by looking at Poland’s ever-increasing polarisation, according to Kubik, as well as Tusk’s controversial attempts to repair damage to democracy done by his right-wing predecessors from PiS — a process which involves him grappling with rules introduced by Poland’s former government.
“The slowness and hardly comprehensible complexity of this process result in the growing perception that the government is incompetent,” Kubik said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, whose latest approval rating was just 30%, is also not alone in his unpopularity within France, where leaders have historically been unpopular. In 2016, former French President François Hollande famously scored just 4% of support.
Nevertheless, French political analyst Francois Valentin told Euronews that Macron has made himself disliked in France by publicly placing himself at the centre of political decisions — leaving himself open to considerable backlash if his government’s choices end up not resonating with the French public.
“It worked to his advantage when he was new, now its working against him. Especially now that he is increasingly isolated, even within his own political sphere,” Valentin said.
As for Scholz, his lack of presence on the public stage has been often cited as a reason for his unpopularity.
“Many people miss him at the public stage, explaining his decisions and the policies of the federal government to the voters. He does not appear to be very responsive to public demands either,” Antonios Souris, political scientist at the Freie University in Berlin, explained.
ADVERTISEMENT“There were periods this year in which he seemed to completely disappear.”
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By Jake Lucas and Axel Boada
December 18, 2025
World
Zelenskyy calls for US to respond to ‘signals’ Russia is ‘preparing to make next year a year of war’
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday called for the U.S. and other allies to respond to bellicose “signals” from Russia.
“Today, we again heard signals from Moscow that they are preparing to make next year a year of war. These signals are not only for us. It is crucial that our partners see them, and not only see them but also respond — especially partners in the United States, who often say that Russia wants to end the war,” Zelenskyy asserted in a post on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
“Over the past few weeks, the President’s team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, and as the President stated, he believes we are closer now than we have ever been,” a White House official noted.
UKRAINE SAYS IT CARRIED OUT FIRST-EVER UNDERWATER DRONE STRIKE ON RUSSIAN SUBMARINE IN NOVOROSSIYSK
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pictured during a press conference with Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor, on Dec. 15, 2025, in Berlin, Germany. (Florian Gaertner/Photothek via Getty Images)
“Yet the signals coming from Russia are the exact opposite, taking the form of official orders to their army. This Russian mindset must be recognized — and acted upon. When Russia is in this mindset, it will also undermine diplomacy — seeking, through diplomatic language and pressure over specific points in documents — to merely mask its desire to destroy Ukraine and Ukrainians, and the desire to legitimize Russia’s theft of our land. And then come other countries in Europe, which someone in Russia might one day label their so‑called ‘historical lands,’” Zelenskyy asserted in the post.
“Real protection is needed against this Russian case history of madness, and we will continue working with all partners to ensure that protection is in place. Security measures are needed, financial measures are needed — including actions on Russian assets — political measures are needed. And the courage of all partners is required: to see the truth, acknowledge the truth, and act accordingly. I want to thank everyone who supports Ukraine,” his post concluded.
Zelenskyy also conveyed the message in a Ukrainian-language video.
US OFFICIALS TOUT PROGRESS IN TALKS TO REACH ‘LASTING AND DURABLE PEACE’ BETWEEN UKRAINE, RUSSIA
In this photo distributed by the state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin speaks during an expanded meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry Board at the National Defense Control Center in Moscow on Dec. 17, 2025. (Mikhail TERESHCHENKO / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared during a Defense Ministry board meeting on Wednesday that Russia will accomplish its goals, through either diplomacy or military force.
“The goals of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved. We would prefer to accomplish this and address the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic means. However, if the opposing side and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means. The task of creating and expanding a security buffer zone will also be carried out consistently,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript.
HEADED FOR THE EXITS: WHY 3 DOZEN HOUSE MEMBERS AREN’T RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., arrives for a House Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a staunch proponent of U.S. support for Ukraine, asserted in a post on X, “Again… the U.S. should send 200 long-range and extremely accurate cruise missiles to Ukraine. Maybe then, Putin will get serious and seek peace. Putin started this war, and he’ll stop this war once he realizes he cannot win and that the cost of war is too high.”
President Donald Trump’s administration has been attempting to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
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Following tense negotiations among the 27 member states, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday pushed the signature of the contentious Mercosur agreement to January to the frustration of backers Germany and Spain.
The trade deal dominated the EU summit, with France and Italy pressing for a delay to secure stronger farmer protections, while von der Leyen had hoped to travel to Latin America for a signing ceremony on 20 December after securing member-state support.
Without approval, the ceremony can no longer go ahead. There is not set date.
“The Commission proposed that it postpones to early January the signature to further discuss with the countries who still need a bit more time,” an EU official told reporters.
After a phone call with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she supported the deal, but added that Rome still needs stronger assurances for Italian farmers. Lula said in separate comments that Meloni assured him the trade deal would be approved in the next 10 days to a month.
The Mercosur agreement would create a free-trade area between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. But European farmers fear it would expose them to unfair competition from Latin American imports on pricing and practices.
Meloni’s decision was pivotal to delay
“The Italian government is ready to sign the agreement as soon as the necessary answers are provided to farmers. This would depend on the decisions of the European Commission and can be defined within a short timeframe,” Meloni said after speaking with Lula, who had threatened to walk away from the deal unless an agreement was found this month. He sounded more conciliatory after speaking to Meloni.
Talks among EU leaders were fraught, as backers of the deal – concluded in 2024 after 25 years of negotiations – argued the Mercosur is an imperative as the bloc needs new markets at a time in which the US, its biggest trading partner, pursues an aggressive tariff policy. Duties on European exports to the US have tripled under Donald Trump.
“This is one of the most difficult EU summits since the last negotiation of the long-term budget two years ago,” an EU diplomat said.
France began pushing last Sunday for a delay in the vote amid farmers’ anger.
Paris has long opposed the deal, demanding robust safeguards for farmers and reciprocity on environmental and health production standards with Mercosur countries.
The agreement requires a qualified majority for approval. France, Poland and Hungary oppose the signature, while Austria and Belgium planned to abstain if a vote were held this week. Ireland has also raised concerns over farmer protections.
Italy’s stance was pivotal.
However, supporters of the agreement now fear prolonged hesitation could prompt Mercosur countries to walk away after decades of negotiations for good.
After speaking with Meloni, Lula said he would pass Italy’s request on to Mercosur so that it can “decide what to do.”
An EU official said contacts with Mercosur were “ongoing,” adding: “We need to make sure that everything is accepted by them.”
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