PARIS, France: A François Hollande comeback is gaining attention ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election as the former president openly considers another run for the Élysée Palace.
Hollande has increased his public appearances during France’s late-summer political season. He has promoted policy proposals and told reporters he will decide in December whether to support another candidate or enter the race himself.
The possibility marks a sharp reversal for a politician whose approval rating fell as low as 4% near the end of his presidency. Hollande became the first sitting president of France’s Fifth Republic not to seek a second term.
However, analysts say attitudes toward Hollande have softened during the decade since he left office. Dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron and uncertainty over potential successors have helped bring Hollande back into the discussion.
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Hollande returned to elected office in 2024 when he won a seat in the National Assembly. He has since positioned himself as a relatively moderate figure who could appeal beyond the traditional left.
An Elabe survey published in July found that 46% of left-wing voters held a favourable view of Hollande. The highest rating among potential left-wing presidential candidates.
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Marine Le Pen was leading presidential polling, followed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, while several candidates were competing for the political centre.
Hollande also released a book titled “Unir,” or “Unite,” this week. It contains about 100 policy proposals and calls for what he described as a broad democratic alliance crossing party lines.
