The president's unpopularity means those who associate themselves with him risk a beating at France's 2027 election, writes the BBC's Hugh Schofield.
In the end, Emmanuel Macron's man wasn't able to pull it off either.
When Sébastien Lecornu was appointed France's prime minister three and a half weeks ago, the spin was that this was President Macron's last card.
A last card, we were told, but a go... [3026 chars]