François Hollande Will Not Run for French Presidential Election

François Hollande, the President of France, announced on Thursday that he will not be a candidate in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for next year. According to Reuters, this decision has surprised everyone, as until now, aides to the French president had indicated that he intended to participate in the next election. The French president has acknowledged his unpopularity and effectively opens the way for another candidate from the Socialist Party to compete against rivals such as François Fillon, the candidate from the Republican Party, and Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front party. Reuters adds that this is the first time since 1958 that a French president does not run for a second term, and Hollande's decision not to run seems to reduce the Socialist Party's chances of victory. In a television program, François Hollande stated: 'Today I am aware of the risks and dangers of stepping into a path where I do not have sufficient support, which is why I decided not to run for the presidency.' Reuters reports that the high unemployment rate in France has made Hollande one of the most unpopular presidents in French history. The news agency adds that the outcome of the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election have led everyone to view the upcoming French election as another test of voter demands regarding politicians and the ruling elites in the country. Over the past two weeks, electoral developments in France have been accompanied by surprises. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy also lost in the internal elections of the right-wing Republican Party, and ultimately François Fillon, the former Prime Minister, was able to be nominated as the party's candidate. According to Reuters, with Hollande's withdrawal, his Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, is expected to emerge as the main candidate for the Socialist Party in the primary elections in January.