France’s former president Francois Hollande has shocked many with his announcement to make a political comeback. The socialist leader, who served as president from 2012 to 2017, revealed that he intends to run as a candidate in the parliamentary elections in the Corrèze department. Despite facing low approval ratings during his presidency, Hollande described his decision as “exceptional” given the current political situation.
Hollande’s decision to return to politics has received a lukewarm response from his own Parti Socialiste, with a party official acknowledging his intentions without much enthusiasm. However, it is not uncommon for former French presidents to run in parliamentary elections, with Valery Giscard d’Estaing successfully doing so in the 1980s after losing a presidential election. Whether Hollande will be able to secure a seat in parliament remains to be seen, as French citizens are set to go to the polls on June 30 and July 7.
The decision to hold parliamentary elections was made by current president Emmanuel Macron following a strong performance by Marine Le Pen’s right-wing nationalist RN party in the European elections. The RN party is currently leading in the polls for the parliamentary elections. Hollande has expressed his support for a potential alliance of leftist parties aiming to prevent the far right from gaining power. With only weeks until the election results are announced, it will be interesting to see how Hollande fares against his political opponents and whether he can successfully reclaim his place on the French political stage.
