Popularity polls: mired in the Bétharram affair, François Bayrou drops out

This is a record that François Bayrou could have done without: never has a Prime Minister been as unpopular as him two months after his appointment to Matignon, according to an Odoxa Mascaret poll for Public Sénat and the regional press, published this Tuesday, February 25.

The head of government only receives 26% of favorable opinions and has fallen by 4 points in one month. A result that places him just above that of Manuel Valls, observed in June 2016 (24%), after the former Prime Minister had "imposed the Labor Law with 49.3", specifies this study.

Accused of having knowledge of the accusations of sexual violence in the Catholic establishment of Notre-Dame-de-Bétharram where his children were educated, even if he denies it, the former Minister of National Education seems to be paying directly for this scandal.

The terms most associated with him on social networks are "Betharram affair" (3.7% of the total), "migratory submersion" (3.6%), "sexual assaults" (3.3%) and "sexual violence" (2.7%), indicates Odoxa.

The other head of the executive, Emmanuel Macron, is even less popular. Only 25% of French people believe that he is a "good president of the Republic", a drop of one point compared to January 2025. This score brings him closer to his record of unpopularity, dating from November 2024 (23%).

Another lesson from this survey: the very right-wing Bruno Retailleau has been on the rise since his arrival in the Barnier government and his continued presence in François Bayrou's team.

The Minister of the Interior ranks 5th in the ranking of the French people's favorite political figures among the 27 names tested. 32% of those surveyed support him or feel sympathy for him. An increase of 5 points. No one does better.

Second good news for the boss of Place Beauvau: his direct competitor for the presidency of the Republicans party, Laurent Wauquiez, is relegated far behind to 25th place (14%). Above all, he is experiencing a dynamic opposite to his own with a fall of three points.

Although the terms of the LR election will be different, with only party members being asked to vote, Bruno Retailleau is a big hit with supporters of the right and centre with 62% support.

Among the French people's favorite political figures, we still find former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe at the top. A candidate in the next presidential election, the head of Horizons is at 36%, two points less than last month. He is ahead of the two main figures of the extreme right, Jordan Bardella (34%, -1 point) and Marine Le Pen (33%, -2 points).

Which are followed by Gabriel Attal (33%, stable), another potential candidate for the Elysée joust, who has become head of the presidential party and of the Macronist deputies since his departure from Matignon.

This survey was conducted online on February 19 and 20 among a sample of 1,005 French people representative of the population aged 18 and over, using the quota method. Margin of error between 2.5 and 2.8 points. The margin of error is between 2.5 and 2.8 points.