Nothing I said could shake the conviction that this was a failed president. And that is exactly what the opinion polls tell us. The latest polls show an approval rating of just 14 per cent. This beats all records by a very large margin. Translated into votes, it means that, if Hollande stands in the presidential elections next year, not only will he not make the second round (where the top two candidates go forward) but there is a chance that he might not even make third place. Those same polls tell us that, if there is one person likely to make it into the second ballot, it is Marine Le Pen.

The polls also tell us of a deep malaise afflicting French society. For example, a recent survey asked French electors what they most expected to see in the years to come. Top of the list (29 per cent) came “social explosion”. This was followed by “decline”, “inaction” and “decadence”. “Prosperity” came in well down the list at 5 per cent and “unity” came in at 3 per cent. The recent bout of strike action and protests that emptied petrol pumps and delayed trains and flights suggests that these fears might not be without foundation.

In such a context it is hard to believe that Hollande might turn things round. Yes, there are signs of growth in the economy and unemployment is beginning to nudge down. But surely this is a political mountain too high to climb. There is, however, one glimmer of hope for Hollande. If, somehow or other, he manages to get into the second ballot of the presidential election and his opponent is Marine Le Pen, then he might just find himself back in the Elysée next May. The chances are that this fundamentally decent man (and his party) will suffer a crushing and humiliating defeat: but we can be sure that Hollande, sustained by the conviction that things are getting better, will fight to the last.