PARIS — France’s President Francois Hollande announced in a surprise televised address Thursday that he would not seek a second term in next year’s presidential election, acknowledging that his personal unpopularity might cost his Socialist party the Elysee.
“I have decided not to be a candidate in the presidential election,” Hollande said in the prime-time slot, adding that he hoped by stepping aside to give the Socialists a chance to win “against conservatism and, worse still, extremism.”
The 62-year-old president — the country’s least popular leader since World War II — said he was “conscious of the risks” his lack of support posed to a successful candidacy.
“What’s at stake is not a person, it’s the country’s future,” he said.
The announcement Thursday came just a few days after Hollande’s No. 2, Prime Minister Manuel Valls, said he was “ready” to compete in next month’s Socialist primary.
In a written statement on Thursday night, Valls praised Hollande’s “tough, mature, serious choice.”
“That’s the choice of a statesman,” he said, without confirming if he plans to seek the presidency himself.
In his address, Hollande avoided saying if he would support Valls — or any other candidate.
Hollande’s popularity plunged soon after he took power in 2012. Polls show most voters don’t want to see him stay in office.
Voters expressed disappointment over the lagging economy, higher taxes and the pro-business shift Hollande adopted midterm after first claiming as a candidate his “real adversary” would be the “world of finance.”
His image also suffered from personal scandals. He broke up with ex-partner Valerie Trierweiler amid reports that he was having an affair with French actress Julie Gayet, an episode later exposed in a stinging book by the former first lady.
Not only did Trierweiler reveal intimate details of Hollande’s infidelities, but she also depicted the Socialist leader as someone who dislikes the poor — a grave political sin for a left-wing leader.
The Socialist party has also been deeply divided over Hollande’s leadership from within, with rebels within the party openly criticizing his pro-business strategy and calling for more left-leaning policies.
Two of his ex-colleagues, former Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg and former Education Minister Benoit Hamon, have already announced they will run next month.
