Spotlight: Will French gov't shake-up offer impetus for Hollande to regain popularity?

Earlier this month, French President Francois Hollande announced a cabinet shake-up. It appeared to be an attempt to kickstart a government engulfed by divisions and social strains.

With 14 months ahead of a race to the Elysee Palace, Hollande had invited environmentalists and hard leftists to join his executive team, eyeing to open a new chapter in his five-year term already tainted by record low popularity.

But, is the bet won?

A BVA survey for ITele news channel on Sunday showed the French president's approval ratings deteriorating by 3 points with only 22 percent of voters still trust him to fix the country's economic, financial and social troubles.

"The reshuffle appears to have weakened (Hollande's approval ratings) rather than injected dynamism into public opinion," wrote Erwan Lestrohan, director of BVA Opinion studies.

"In addition, the entry of environmentalists into the government, has negatively affected the image of the represented parties," he added.

With eye on 2017 presidential election, Hollande called back ex-Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault to replace Foreign Minister Laurant Fabius and handed portfolios to the Greens and the center-left Radical Left Party, a nomination widely seen as a move to broaden voter appeal.

However, he kept faith on Finance Minister Michel Sapin and Emmanuel Macron as economy minister.

In a recent TV appearance, the French president said "this government must act, reform, move forward. It is true that it is widened as I wanted environmentalists, personalities to join it."

Speaking to local media, Prime Minister Manuel Valls defended a government of "experience and solidity," which included also "new figures as the French expect elected representative with practical experience."

"I don't expect that the new government will have major economic results because the same figures concerned with growth and unemployment maintained their place. Hollande had chosen to stick to a political line which will be approved by the public if only it will lead to a fall in unemployment rate," Lestrohan told Xinhua.

According to Opinionway poll, 82 percent of voters did not see "any impact" of the government reshuffle in reversing unemployment trend.

PRIMARY IN THE AIR

Seeking to reenergize his unpopular government ahead of the election, Hollande named Greens leader Emmanuelle Cosse, who joins as housing minister, and two other ecologist lawmakers as junior ministers.

In a further sign to discourage other leftist candidates from running against him, the Socialist leader called the head of the small Left Radical Party, Jean-Michel Baylet, to take charge of local authorities ministry.

However, analysts said without charismatic figures and heavyweight personalities, Hollande, who's already haunted by poor popularity score, would fail to get the wind to his sails again.

"It does not guarantee that Hollande will be the only representative of the left in 2017 and it does not impede the Greens to present a candidate," said Gael Slimane, director of Odoxa pollster.

The head of the ruling Socialist Party, Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, raised the prospect of a primary after inviting the Leftists to pick a candidate able to defeat the conservatives and far-right National Front.

"We need primaries that encompass the whole Left. It's unavoidable... it's the only way for us to win the presidential election," Cambadelis told BFM TV news channel.

Traditionally, the incumbent head of state represents his party in an election, without a contest. But given Hollande's weak approval ratings, he could face a challenger from the left camp.

"I might be a candidate, I might not be a candidate. It's all about unemployment. I need to have results," Hollande told the radio France Inter last Friday. Endit