Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the disgraced former International Monetary Fund chief, would do the best job running France instead of François Hollande, the current president, the majority of French believe in the leaked results of a shock poll, reports The Telegraph.
He may have been embroiled in a string of sex scandals and face charges of aggravated pimping, but 56 per cent of French believe DSK, as he is known, would do a better job than his fellow Socialist, mired in record low approval ratings.
The BVA poll came as an embarrassment to Mr Hollande and the ruling Socialists, who have been at pains to distance themselves from the 64-year old disgraced former finance minister and one-time French presidential favourite.
But the poll findings were also embarrassing for the centre-Right, as Mr Strauss-Kahn, who now works as an economic adviser, came well ahead of Nicolas Sarkozy, the former conservative president.
Mr Sarkozy, who is widely tipped to mount a comeback bid in 2017, scored 49 per cent. Alain Juppé, his former foreign minister and who may also run, came second on 53 per cent.
This is the first time Mr Strauss-Kahn has figured in such a poll since Mr Hollande took office in June 2012.
Due to be published in last weekend's edition of Le Parisien magazine, the weekly was so surprised to find DSK on top of the poll that it decided to scrap it altogether.
But the results were leaked to France Info radio, which published them. Le Parisien magazine reportedly told it that it had pulled the poll because it felt it should have been precluded by the question: "Are you for or against the return of DSK (to politics)?"
According to France Info, the poll underlines a desperate desire in France for "competence at the highest levels" regardless of Mr Strauss-Kahn's wayward personal life.
Read more of this report from The Telegraph.