Why voters are so unhappy with leadership in democracies

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has an approval rating of just 19% — making him one of the least popular leaders in a recent poll of 24 democracies. French President Emmanuel Macron ranks at the bottom, with just 18%, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stands at 27%. By comparison, US President Donald Trump sits relatively comfortably at 38%.

Laura Thornton, who studies democracies around the world and the challenges they face, says such low approval ratings are becoming the new norm as populist leaders who promise quick fixes gain public support. We examine the mechanisms driving this sense of disillusionment with democratic processes.