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François Hollande has won the support of tens of thousands more French women following reports of his affair, a poll reveals today.

The survey for Le Nouvel Observateur magazine showed a three-point jump among women in approval for the French leader, from 23 per cent in December to 26 per cent. The biggest increase in backing for him in the LH2 poll appeared to be among women aged 25-34 and 50-64.

In contrast, men in France seem far less impressed by the president’s reported liaisons with actress Julie Gayet. His 26 per cent approval rating remains unchanged.

The poll also appeared to show that France is divided in its reaction to the revelations about Mr Hollande’s love life and has crystalised opinion about him. The percentage of women who disapproved of him has also gone up three points, leaving his overall net popularity unchanged.

His net popularity among men has actually fallen, with more men saying they disapprove of him, 72 per cent compared with 69 in December. The number who are undecided has fallen from seven points to just two.

Axelle Lemaire, the socialist French MP for Britain, was taken back by the poll’s findings for women. “I’m surprised,” she said.

Ms Lemaire believes the rise in support could be due to a combination of proposed new laws including on equality at work and tackling violence against women, better employment news, as well as Mr Hollande’s alleged affair making him “appear more human and closer to the people”.

Among both sexes, his popularity went up from 24 per cent to 26 per cent. The poll came as Mr Hollande was due to address the nation amid reports that he wants to publicly announce his separation from France’s First Lady Valerie Trierweiler but is reluctant to do so while she is in hospital.

As the President prepared to “clarify” his relationship with his partner of seven years because of his reported on-going affair with Ms Gayet, Elysée Palace aides said he was desperate not to “appear weak”.

“Some have advised him to make an announcement of a split, but the hospitalisation of Ms Trierweiler convinced him to give it time,” one told Le Parisien newspaper.

Ms Trierweiler, 48, is said to be briefing the newspaper from her hospital bed in central Paris, where she has been since news of Mr Hollande’s alleged affair with Ms Gayet, 41, broke last Friday.

There is nothing physically wrong with her, but she reportedly said that learning about the relationship was like “being hit by a high-speed train” and is desperate to win public sympathy. Intriguingly, an Elysée Palace spokesman would not say today whether Mr Hollande had even visited Ms Trierweiler at the hospital where she has spent four nights.

Ms Gayet, meanwhile, has gone into hiding, despite being one of France’s most famous film stars who was promoting her latest movie up until last week.

Both women are expected to be watching their televisions when Mr Hollande appears before hundreds of journalists at a press conference at the Elysée. It was scheduled months ago, as a chance for the him to outline his economic strategy but will now be dominated by his personal life.

Mr Hollande, who will be 60 this year, is said to be deeply in love with Ms Gayet, but has been ridiculed at the way he has been conducting his alleged “secret” affair.

Since early last year, the portly socialist has been reportedly making visits to a Paris apartment on the back of a moped, using a crash helmet for a disguise. An armed bodyguard working for one of France’s elite police units was allegedly given the task of bringing morning croissants to the lovers.

Ms Trierweiler, a divorcee who works for Paris Match magazine, has in turn been accused of using “emotional blackmail” to try to hang on to her glamorous job. There is nothing wrong with her beyond a “case of the blues”, according to her own camp, but she is likely to stay in hospital for more than a week.

There was further embarrassment for Mr Hollande, who claims to “dislike the rich”, when it emerged that Ms Gayet is a business partner of one of the wealthiest men in France. Paris billionaire Francois Pinault is an investor in Cinemaphore, a production company set up by the ambitious Ms Gayet last year.

LH2 interviewed 1,108 adults from January 10 to 11.