Former French President François Hollande expected to run for presidency again

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kwak Min-seo = French local media reported on the 5th (local time) that former President François Hollande, the most unpopular president in the history of the French Fifth Republic, is expected to run for president once again.

Former President Hollande is from the center-left Socialist Party and served as President of France from 2012 to 2017.

At the end of his term, his approval rating fell to an all-time low of 4%, making him the most unpopular president since World War II, and he ultimately gave up his bid for re-election.

This is the only case since the establishment of the Fifth French Republic in which an incumbent president did not run for re-election.

Former President Hollande was also the person who selected current President Emmanuel Macron. After serving as an aide and economy minister during Hollande's term, President Macron founded a centrist party that advocated unification of the left and right and took power.

However, while President Macron was re-elected and remained in power for nearly 10 years, approval ratings for the government hit rock bottom, and conflict in French politics further intensified.

Meanwhile, France 24 reported that as negative memories of the Hollande regime faded, views of him were evaluated more leniently.

According to an Elabe poll released last month, 46% of French left-wing voters had a favorable opinion of former President Hollande, which is the highest figure among left-wing candidates currently likely to run for president.

France 24 reported that a French journalist said that former President Hollande had reappeared in the presidential election, "like an old boyfriend who decided to have coffee but can't remember exactly why he met."

The fact that the center-left camp failed to produce a new leader after former President Hollande left office is also considered to be the reason for his re-emergence.

In the current opinion poll, eight months before the French presidential election, Marine Le Pen, a member of the far-right National Rally (RN), continues to lead, followed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed (LFI).

However, there are no strong candidates in the center-left camp.

“In the 10 years since he stepped down from power, not a single person has emerged as a clear leader or candidate on the left, except for Mélenchon,” said Emech Breyet, director of the Political Life Observatory at the Jean Jaurès Foundation, who served as a member of the Socialist Party’s House of Representatives during the time Hollande was in office. “This is one of the main reasons why Hollande is being mentioned again.”

However, in the case of European Parliament member Raphael Glücksmann, who is mentioned as Hollande's rival, it is evaluated that he has not yet been proven as a presidential candidate.

Rep. Glügsmann, who is a center-left candidate, is not currently a member of the Socialist Party, but has decided to participate in the presidential candidate primary hosted by the Socialist Party next month. Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure is also participating in the primary.

On the other hand, former President Hollande has refused to participate in the primary.

According to Le Monde, he is expected to make a final decision on whether to run for president by December.

If the left-wing candidate elected through the primary does not show sufficient competitiveness, he or she will consider running for office.

However, French media, including Le Monde, are assessing that former President Hollande has actually already taken steps aimed at the next presidential election.

In particular, Hollande is attracting attention this week for publishing a book titled 'Unity: New World, New Left'.

This book is a 300-page book containing 100 policy proposals on labor and immigration issues, and RMC Broadcasting reported that Hollande foreshadowed a clear shift to a moderate path through this.