Bétharram affair: François Bayrou's popularity drops sharply after his parliamentary hearing

François Bayrou 's popularity rating fell by four points in May, according to an Ipsos-Cesi poll for La Tribune Dimanche published on Saturday, three days after his hearing before the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the Bétharram affair .

In this barometer carried out between Wednesday and Friday, the Prime Minister's actions recorded 20% favorable opinions, compared to 24% in April.

The head of government was at the heart of the news this week with his lengthy hearing at the National Assembly on Wednesday, where he used a confrontational strategy to reject outright accusations of lying or interfering with the justice system in the case of physical and sexual violence at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram high school.

"Clearly, the Bétharram affair is playing a role, if only because he is forced to justify himself while the French expect him to be totally focused on their problems," Brice Teinturier, CEO of Ipsos, told La Tribune Dimanche.

As for President Emmanuel Macron, his popularity remains stable compared to April, with 26% of favorable opinions regarding his actions at the Élysée Palace, despite his appearance on TF1 on Monday evening for a long political broadcast.

Among the ministers, Bruno Retailleau gained five points in popularity in one month to become the most popular member of the government, with 38% favorable opinions.