French President Hollande's popularity drops to record low of just 26% as he faces losing another seat in by-election Francois Hollande's popularity in France is back down to a record low Just 26 per cent of the country is 'satisified with his dismal record' Figure is down three percentage points on Hollande's popularity in May The Socialist head of state is the most unpopular in modern French history President Francois Hollande's popularity in France is back down to a record low, according to a new opinion poll published today. The Ifop survey in the Journal du Dimanche newspaper reveals that just 26 per cent of the country is 'satisified with his dismal record.' This figure is down three percentage points on Hollande's popularity in May, and is further confirmation that the Socialist head of state is by far the most unpopular in modern French history. French President Francois Hollande's popularity is down to a record low of 26 per cent approval It come as a crucial by-election was contested by the conservative UMP party and the Far-Right National Front (FN). Etienne Bousquet-Cassagne, 23, was hoping to clinch a third parliamentary seat for the FN after already knocking out a Socialist. Mr Bousquet-Cassange is trying to appeal to those disillusioned with the economic decline and corruption which has become endemic during Mr Hollande's presidency. He faces a second round run-off against Jean-Louis Costes, from former President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. Etienne Bousquet-Cassange is trying to appeal to those disillusioned with the economic decline and corruption which has become endemic during Mr Hollande's presidency The constituency was previously held by Jerome Cahuzac, Mr Hollande's disgraced budget minister and tax tsar who turned out to have a secret Swiss bank account. Mr Cahuzac's Socialist successor, Bernard Barral, was knocked out in the first round last Sunday, in which Mr Costes won 28.7 per cent of the vote and Mr Bousquet-Cassagne 26 per cent. The FN was already buoyed by reaching the second round of another by-election in March in the Oise department, north of Paris, in which the UMP candidate won by a wafer-thin margin. But the Socialists have called on their voters to form a "Republic front" against the far-right candidate by voting for his conservative rival. Whatever happens, the by-election will reduce the Socialists" parliamentary majority to just three - down from eight last year. French Jean-Louis Costes, from former President Nicolas Sarkozy¿s UMP party, faces a second round run-off for the by-election This steady decline has also been reflected in record low popularity ratings for Mr Hollande as he battles historically high unemployment while seeking to rein in the public deficit. The Ifop poll showed the proportion of people satisfied with Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also declined 2 points to 31 percent. The Socialist government has been struggling with rising unemployment, stalled economic growth, muddled Europe policy, and a large public deficit, while Mr Hollande's same-sex marriage law also prompted huge protests. The poll on the popularity of Mr Hollande, who was elected in May last year, was based on the views of 1,865 people aged 18 or over contacted by telephone between June 14 and June 22.