French Riviera attack darkens clouds over Hollande's re-election hopes

French President Francois Hollande leaves the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 15, 2016, after attending an emergency defence meeting the day after the Bastille Day truck attack in Nice. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

PARIS (Reuters) - Long under fire for the economy's slow recovery, French President Francois Hollande looked his chirpiest in months in his traditional Bastille Day TV interview.

Nine months from a presidential election, unemployment was showing signs it may at last start falling, and France had hosted the Euro soccer championship without a major security scare.