Following reports of French President Francois Hollande’s alleged affair, has been the revelation of an increase in his popularity.

Time World reported that ‘Hollande’s approval rating went up by 2 points to 26 percent, based on a LH2 poll conducted for French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur on Jan. 10 and 11’. Perhaps more shocking was the revelation reported in the London Evening Standard of a jump in approval amongst women. They wrote ‘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’. His approval rating amongst men however slightly decreased.

Axelle Lemaire, the socialist French MP for Britain believed the rise in support could be due to a combination of proposed new laws including on equality at work and tackling violence against women, however concedes that Hollande’s alleged affair made him “appear more human and closer to the people”.

This is an interesting point. In our own country we lament politicians for appearing too perfect and manufactured. Ed Miliband has been characterised as resembling Wallace from Wallace & Gromit with a propensity for being awkward. We want politicians to be real and like us. However does having an affair take it too far?

Surely a man, who has allegedly met his mistress in an apartment with links to the Mafia, used an armed bodyguard to bring her morning croissants and in the process has hospitalized his wife, cannot be trusted.

The French do not seem to think so. According to a separate Ifop poll, 77 % of French voters consider the affair a private matter. They can hardly be surprised by now I suppose, with the guardian reporting here that every president to have held power in France since 1974 has been rumored to have cheated on their wives.

While we wait for Hollande to confirm whether Valerie Trierweiler is still the first lady before a February trip to the US here is a game to play. It pokes fun at Hollande’s use of a moped and a crash helmet for disguise when making the alleged visits to his mistress.