French President Francois Hollande has dug himself into a hole over plans to strip dual nationals of their French passports if they are convicted of terrorism, and a looming government reshuffle is unlikely to help him regain lost popularity, reports Reuters.
Long France's most unpopular president on record, Hollande saw his ratings almost double when he brought in tough security measures after Islamist militants killed 130 people across Paris on Nov. 13.
Twelve weeks later the boost has entirely evaporated, lost in endless debates and government flip-flops over the dual nationality plan, which has deeply divided Hollande's Socialist party and threatens to hurt his already faltering chances of winning re-election next year.
"We let gold turn into lead," said one minister who asked not to be named as she could not publicly criticise the government she is part of.
"We've given the French people the feeling that was all we were doing," she said. "Hollande's post-attack political successes are backfiring."
The government has acknowledged that the passport-stripping plan is a largely symbolic move that would probably not deter a potential attacker.
Proposing it seemed a good move at the time for Hollande: just three days after the wave of shootings and bombings, he appeared both resolute and consensual when he put forward the measure, favoured by the right, to a rare joint meeting of both houses of parliament. Lawmakers gave him a standing ovation.
Now it has turned into a major headache, drawing heavy criticism from his own camp as the initial shock of the attacks has begun to fade.