With the 2027 presidential election approaching and to mark the publication of its White Paper, the Institut de l’Entreprise commissioned Ifop to survey the French public about their expectations regarding reforms— bothin terms of which priorities to address and how to implement them.
Key findings:
The French express a genuine desire for change: 47% want reforms to be carried out quickly, even if it leads to social unrest, while 45% prefer a more gradual approach. Only 8% believe that the French model does not need sweeping reforms.
Purchasing power tops the list of issues on which the French want the president-elect in 2027 to take priority action (44%), ahead of debt and immigration (23% each). However, French people in favor of rapid reform implementation stand out for their greater focus on three issues: debt reduction (31%, or 8 percentage points above the national average), immigration (30%, 7 percentage points above), and security (25%, 5 percentage points above).
While these issues dominate expectations for the next five-year term, the question of funding for public services is also a major point of contention. In the areas of health care and education, the French clearly favor increasing resources rather than reorganizing existing ones (cited by 64% and 55%, respectively).
In detail, expectations for reforms vary by sector. For the school system, the French prioritize, first and foremost, the revitalization of vocational and technical programs (43%). In healthcare, they want above all to expand the scope of procedures that certain healthcare professionals can perform (48%). To support innovation, they want to prioritize European products and services in public procurement (41%). Regarding work and employment, adapting vocational training to the needs of employees and businesses tops the list (37%), while developing programs that allow for a gradual reduction in working hours toward the end of one’s career is the top expectation concerning retirement (39%).
Finally, expectations also focus on how reforms should be carried out: 67% of French people want to give citizens a greater say in decision-making, and 41% favor holding referendums on major reforms during the next five-year term.
