PARIS, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Most of the French said they were not satisfied with President Emmanuel Macron's first TV interview where he defended a controversial labor reform criticized by the discontent as favoring the rich, according to a poll released Monday.
"I'm the president of all the French," Macron told TF1 television in response to growing critics over his pro-liberal road-map, in his first TV interview since he took office on May 7.
A Harris Interactive poll for RMC radio showed that 61 percent of the 856 respondents did not appreciate Macron's performance.
According to the online poll conducted Sunday, half of the people said they are satisfied with the president's foreign policy and four out of 10 said they support his economic proposals.
In the 70-minute interview, the 39-year head of state also said, "We're taking care of the France where things aren't going well."
"I'm doing what I said I would do during the election campaign ... There will always be resistances, comments ... I am not here to manage or reform, but to transform," he said.
Macron's approval ratings have tumbled since his election five months ago, pulled down by labor reforms, budget cuts, and the decrease in housing subsidies.
Despite street protests, Macron signed last month the controversial new labor rules into law which lessen rigid labor rules by offering more flexibility to companies to hire and fire workers, and offering greater freedom in terms of pay and working conditions.
