France’s former President Hollande is running in parliamentary elections

Hollande said on Saturday in Tulle in his home region of Corrèze in central France that he had made this decision because “the situation is serious” – “more than it has ever been”. The danger from the extreme right is there. “Since the liberation (from the Nazis), the extreme right has never been so close to power.”

Hollande supports the merger of left-wing parties that want to stop the right-wing populist Rassemblement National (RN). The socialist added: “In an exceptional situation, an exceptional decision” and admitted that it was very unusual for a former president to stand for election as a member of parliament in a constituency.

Read also: Macron wants to remain president even if the RN wins

“I don’t strive for anything for myself personally”

The 69-year-old was a member of parliament for Corrèze from 1988 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2012. He was president of France from 2012 to 2017. When asked whether he also wanted to become prime minister, Hollande replied that it was not about his personal advancement: “I was president of the republic, I am not striving for anything for myself personally.” He called on the French to stop the right-wing populists in the second round of voting.

The right-wing nationalist party Rassemblement National (RN) collected around 31.5 percent of the votes in the European elections about a week ago. In response, French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament and called for new elections to the National Assembly at short notice. These will take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.

More on the topic: France votes in less than three weeks

According to polls, the RN could achieve a similar result in the parliamentary elections as it did in the European elections. This would make the party the strongest force in parliament and could possibly even provide the prime minister.