Will confidence vote help Hollande?

A public attack by a jilted ex, a cabinet melt-down and now an airline strike - it's not been a great summer for the French president.

Air France pilots are on a week long walk-out - the travel chaos perhaps reflecting the state of France's economy.

Francois Hollande has never been so unpopular - the latest poll rating was just 13%.

And the government has also had to endure a confidence vote.

Ahead of it French Prime Minister Manuel Valls justified his package of reforms.

(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRIME MINISTER MANUEL VALLS SAYING:

"We make reforms and we will continue to do so. But reforming doesn't mean breaking. Reforming is not going backward and as I said earlier, there won't be any reconsideration of the 35-hour work week or of the legal length of a work day."

Hollande has a lot of convincing to do.

As well as winning back public support and keeping his party united he must show his EU partners he's still fit to run the euro zone