World
Why is Emmanuel Macron so disliked by French voters?
Analysts say that Macron’s decision to dissolve parliament was not understood by French voters.
French voters’ opinion of Emmanuel Macron has only fallen further since he called for snap elections this month, with some criticising him as narcissistic and disconnected.
“The rejection of the president of the Republic has never been so large,” said Alain Duhamel, a journalist and political essayist. He is also the author of a recent book on the French president.
Macron’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly and call for legislative elections on 30 June and 7 July “symbolises and reinforces this rejection,” said Duhamel.
Voters’ falling out with Macron was further highlighted by the low score of the president’s Renaissance party in the European elections.
The presidential party got just 14.6% of the votes, behind far-right parties which won nearly 40% of the votes, including 31% for the National Rally (RN).
His approval rating has only fallen since, losing between five and seven points to a total of 26-28% depending on the poll.
‘Normal’ to be unpopular for a French president
It’s typical that a surge in popularity following a presidential election gives way to disenchantment among the population.
“All presidents have been unpopular, even [Charles] De Gaulle,” Duhamel told Euronews.
Emmanuel Macron’s predecessor François Hollande saw his approval rating fall to below 20% during his term as president.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also lost popularity in his country with his approval rating at around 27%, according to an Ipsos poll for Euronews carried out in March 2024.
Among voters who supported him in the first round of the May 2022 presidential elections, Macron’s support has dropped by 11 points.
“It is among his electorate that the incomprehension of his decision to dissolve the Assembly is the strongest. It was seen as a betrayal,” Duhamel said.
‘Personal hatred of Macron’
France’s rejection of Macron goes beyond that of his function, politics, or the wear and tear of a second term and has a “personal dimension,” said Duhamel.
His character also irritates the French, with his party’s candidates no longer displaying his face on their campaign posters.
Macron’s move to dissolve parliament is seen as “a reaction of wounded pride, a lesson to the people who voted badly,” the essayist said.
This idea of giving a lesson to the people continues when Macron says it is their responsibility to vote against right and left extremes in the election.
For some, it reinforces the image of an authoritarian and arrogant leader who pushed unpopular reforms through parliament.
Macron has been criticised for avoiding consultation and for being removed from the concerns of his fellow citizens, with some citing his past as an investment banker.
The president has said he wanted to let Prime Minister Gabriel Attal lead the legislative campaign and yet the president is omnipresent.
His decision to call for elections has been described by many as a risky endeavour and his presentation of them as a choice between himself or chaos creates concern among French voters and also “animosity and resentment,” according to Duhamel.
Popular leader in Europe so far
Emmanuel Macron, nonetheless, is viewed favourably among Europeans and is second-most liked at 41%, just behind Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy at 47%, according to an Ipsos poll for Euronews carried out in March 2024 in 18 countries of the European Union.
But that popularity could decrease if his decision weakens Europe by allowing a far-right government to take power in Paris.
International press have described his decision as risky and a danger for the EU.
Yet maybe it is the French who should be blamed, an Italian columnist argues in the liberal daily Il Foglio.
He says that the French hate Macron as “they elected a reformist even though they hate change”.
This article was translated from French. The original can be found here.
World
Miley Cyrus, Jisoo, Sabrina Carpenter, Al Pacino and More Photos from the Dior Cruise Show in Los Angeles
Jonathan Anderson gathered some of Hollywood’s most famous faces for the front row at his Dior Cruise Collection 2027 fashion show at Los Angeles’ LACMA on Wednesday night.
Spotted taking their seats underneath the new David Geffen Galleries were Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter, Al Pacino, Jisoo of Blackpink, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jeff Goldblum, Tracee Ellis Ross, Role Model, Grace Gummer, Dominic Fike, Miranda Kerr, Mikey Madison, Paul W. Downs, Leslie Mann, Miles Teller, Macaulay Culkin and Bill Pullman.
Guests entered LACMA through a simple entrance on Wilshire Boulevard lined on both sides by gaggles of photographers (some were apparently extras hired to act like shutterbugs). Inside, there were large stone-like step-and-repeats for more photos. Attendees were gifted Dior blankets at their seats as well as a mock script titled “Wilshire Boulevard” starring Anderson explaining the show’s noir theme and looks.
An after-party took place at Chateau Marmont.
Miley Cyrus told me she was grateful Anderson chose her hometown for the event. “I love that they came to L.A.,” she said. “That’s the best part.”
Of her all-denim look, the Grammy winner said, “What I love about L.A. is that it’s casual, so just stopping by to enjoy. Not overdone.”
Meanwhile, following the success of her “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special,” I asked Cyrus if a reboot of the Disney Channel sitcom was in the works. “I don’t know about all that,” she said, smiling.
Cyrus cracked, “You always get me in trouble.”
Cyrus has credited my question about her possible plans to mark the two-decade milestone earlier in the year that prompted her and Disney to develop the special.
Tracee Ellis Ross also said she was “so pleased” the show took place in Los Angeles: “I don’t have to get on a plane.”
See all the best celebrity looks at the Dior fashion show below.
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Miley Cyrus and Mikey Madison
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Miley Cyrus and Mikey Madison at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Anya Taylor-Joy
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Anya Taylor-Joy at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Danny Elfman
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Danny Elfman at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Role Model
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Role Model at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Jake Shane
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Jake Shane at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Esther McGregor
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Esther McGregor at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Paul W. Downs
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Paul W. Downs at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Jay Shetty
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Jay Shetty at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Christine Chiu
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Christine Chiu at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Terrence O’Connor
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Terrence O’Connor at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Tracee Ellis Ross
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Tracee Ellis Ross at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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LaKeith Stanfield
Image Credit: Christopher Polk LaKeith Stanfield at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Sam Kim and Ejae
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Sam Kim and Ejae at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Sabrina Carpenter
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Sabrina Carpenter at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Jisoo
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Jisoo at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Chase Sui Wonders
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Chase Sui Wonders at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Cookie Johnson and EJ Johnson
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Cookie Johnson and EJ Johnson at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Al Pacino
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Al Pacino at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Miley Cyrus
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Miley Cyrus at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Eileen Gu
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Eileen Gu at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Owen Thiele
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Owen Thiele at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Ejae
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Ejae at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Jisoo and Anya Taylor-Joy
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Jisoo and Anya Taylor-Joy at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Miles Teller and Keleigh Sperry
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Miles Teller and Keleigh Sperry at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
World
Non-Jewish professor says he was fired for calling out Hamas supporters in online post
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A non-Jewish Canadian professor says he was fired from his university for defending Israel in a social media post as antisemitism exploded across Canada following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
Paul Finlayson told Fox News Digital that he lost his job at Canada’s University of Guelph-Humber after taking a strong stance online about the massacre and kidnapping of Israelis and foreigners — including Americans and Canadians.
Finlayson responded in November of 2023 to a LinkedIn message from an overseas educator who he said was “calling for the eradication of Israel.” Though the author later deleted his post and all corresponding comments, the National Post quoted from Finlayson’s response in a December 2023 article.
“If you say ‘from the River to the Sea’, you’re a Nazi,” Finlayson wrote. “I’m not neutral. I stand with Israel. I stand against antisemites who want nothing but dead Jews: who take millions from their education and health care budgets and spend it on making war…You stand with Palestine means you stand with Hitler. You don’t want peace, you want dead Jews…They murdered 1,400 innocents and took 250 hostages and the people celebrated rapist monsters as heroes.”
RECORD ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS IN CANADA FUEL CRITICISM OF CARNEY GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Paul Finlayson says he lost his job after taking a strong stance online against the Hamas terror attacks on Israel. (Paul Finlayson )
Since the post, Finlayson says he has faced a targeted campaign against him which has affected his professional standing and job prospects.
Finlayson said that students at the school found his LinkedIn reply before the post’s author erased the thread, leading to outcry. While meeting with a student in his office on Nov. 27, Finlayson said an administrator waited outside, eventually presenting him with a suspension letter.
A copy of the suspension letter, provided by Finlayson, cites “inappropriate online comments” and places the professor “on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.” It directed Finlayson not to contact “any of your departmental staff or students or broader members of the [university].”
Finlayson said he was “very well-liked” by students, who ranked him among the highest in the business department faculty. He said that rumors about the accusations against him destroyed his academic reputation, which included formulating courses and writing textbooks.
“My trial has been by defamation, and it continues by defamation,” Finlayson said of the “Kafkaesque” situation that ensued.
FEDERAL PROBE CLAIMS UNIVERSITIES ARE ‘LEGITIMIZING AND AMPLIFYING ANTISEMITISM’
Anti-Israel protesters hold antisemitic posters in Edmonton, Alberta, on April 13, 2025. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto)
He says that his union, OPSEU Local 562, refused to represent him. The union did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Finlayson was officially fired by the university in July 2025. He provided a copy of his termination letter, which stated that after a “formal complaint of discrimination and harassment,” an investigator found that his “conduct violated the Ontario Human Rights Code and Humber’s Human Rights and Harassment Policy, and that [he] engaged in reprisal under both of those instruments.”
The Humber harassment policy states that “anyone who attempts Reprisal or threatens Reprisal against a person who initiates a complaint or participates in proceedings under this Policy may be subject to disciplinary action.”
The same policy says that “Humber upholds and supports the right to equal treatment without Discrimination” based on prohibited grounds, which include antisemitism.
CANADA’S ANTISEMITISM ENVOY RESIGNS, CITING EXHAUSTION AMID HATE SURGE
Temple Emanu-El in Toronto was shot at on March 3, 2026. No injuries were reported. (Nick Lachance/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
The University of Guelph-Humber did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about Finlayson’s suspension, investigation and firing, and about whether anti-Israel posts shared by its students and a professor at the University violate the Humber Human Rights and Harassment Policy.
The University of Guelph’s “UofGforPalestine” Instagram page, which presents itself as the account of “students, staff, and faculty who stand in solidarity with Palestine,” has shared posts with the inverted red triangle that Hamas uses to mark targets. Like the U.S., Canada designates Hamas as a terror group.
In November 2024, the group shared photos on its Instagram account of a guillotine that “appeared on a walking path” in Guelph, which featured photos of the heads of Canadian, American and Israeli leaders coated in red paint. Though purported to be an “anonymous submission,” the post notes its “message” as “Death to empire, death to colonialism and imperialism, death to the war machine.”
The University of Guelph Humber in Ontario, Canada. (Google Maps)
A University of Guelph-Humber professor whom Finlayson believes brought the case against him has posted inflammatory rhetoric on his own LinkedIn account, calling Israel a “terrorist state,” and stating that the world “cannot have both” peace and Israel.
The professor did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
While Finlayson lost his position, elsewhere in Canada, activism led to starkly different circumstances for three staffers at York University, who were among 11 individuals charged with “hate-motivated mischief” in Nov 2023 for plastering a bookstore with photos accusing a Jewish CEO of genocide, and splashing the store with red paint, as reported by the National Post.
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Though they were initially suspended from the school, at least two staff members appear to have current profiles on the York University website. One, a professor, most recently taught courses at the school in the Winter 2026 semester. York University did not respond to requests for comment about its restoration of staff members’ roles.
Since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, antisemitism has exploded in Canada. In April, B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights released a report showing that 6,800 antisemitic incidents took place in the country in 2025, representing a 9.4% increase over 2024. On average, this represented 18.6 incidents a day and was the “highest volume” the group has recorded since it began tracking incidents.
World
Russia’s prison population falls by 180,000 since start of Ukraine war
Published on
The number of prisoners in Russia has dropped by more than 180,000 over five years, in part driven by Moscow sending convicts to fight in Ukraine, Russia’s prison chief said on Thursday.
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In four years of war, Russia has offered prisoners army contracts to fight in Ukraine and buy out their sentences, should they survive.
Russia, which has a massive prison network inherited from Soviet labour camps, has one of the world’s largest convict populations, though that number has been decreasing in the last 20 years.
“If at the end of 2021 there were 465,000 (prisoners), then now there are 282,000,” the head of Russia’s penitentiary service, Arkady Gostev, said, according to the TASS state news agency.
That represents a drop of nearly 40%.
Around 85,000 of the current prison population is held in pre-trial detention, he added.
Gostev said the decline was in part driven by the army’s recruitment drive, but also due to more suspended sentences and other forms of punishment handed out.
Prisoners returning from the Ukraine front have led to an increase in crime and social tension in Russia.
Gostev also said thousands of prisoners were working on production sites in support of the army, contributing to the country’s wartime economy.
Russian prisoners are often made to work, in a system inherited from the Soviet Gulag.
“Over the course of the year, we had additionally deployed 16,000 inmates for these (army) purposes, specifically for manufacturing,” TASS quoted Gostev as saying.
“We produce goods for the special military operation (worth) around 5.5 billion rubles (€64 million),” he said, using Moscow’s term for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“The volume of production (at prison sites) in 2025 amounted to 47 billion rubles (€548 million),” he said, without elaborating how much of it was for army needs.
Russia has experienced a shortage of workers during its offensive, with hundreds of thousands of men at the front and a similar amount fleeing the country due to mobilisation.
Additional sources • AFP
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