After months of political chaos, many Frenchmen want to ditch democracy altogether and follow a strong leader, a new poll published by Le Monde yesterday revealed. This is a profoundly important trend to watch in European nations because of Bible prophecy.

This development in France is especially prevalent among those under age 35, where 42 percent believe another system would be at least as good as democracy. The 13th annual “French Fractures” survey of 3,000 respondents found:

• 96 percent are dissatisfied or angry about the state of the country
• 85 percent say France “needs a real leader to restore order”
• 81 percent say democracy is not working for them
• 90 percent believe the country is in decline
• 66 percent say most politicians are corrupt
• 63 percent agree that they don’t “feel at home anymore”

Le Monde called these symptoms of France’s “democratic crisis,” in which the already yawning rift between voters and their representatives appears to be widening.

• France has gone through seven governments in just over three years, with Sébastien Lecornu becoming the shortest governing prime minister on record, only to be immediately reappointed after resigning. No wonder many in France are looking for a strongman to end the turmoil.

Almost all other European governments are struggling with similar problems.

Many passages in the Bible prophesy of the emergence of a German strongman. In our free booklet A Strong German Leader Is Imminent, Gerald Flurry writes:

This soon-coming ruler could literally be called a king. Even if he is not, the Bible gives him that label. When the Bible talks about a king, in most cases it’s saying that this is not a democratic government. Even if he doesn’t have that title, he is going to lead like a king. This vision in Daniel shows that the European empire is about to become a lot more authoritative.

But the Bible also prophesies that this man will lead a group of other strong leaders. France’s politics are already shifting in an authoritarian direction. Watch for national dictatorial leaders to emerge elsewhere in Europe who “shall give their power and strength unto the beast,” a new superpower led by a German strongman.