French President Francois Hollande, seen in this picture taken from French TV, makes a televised address from the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, December 1, 2016. HANDOUT/France Television via REUTERS
PARIS (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande shocked France on Thursday by announcing he would not seek a second term next year, acknowledging his deep unpopularity and making way for another leftist candidate to take on conservative Francois Fillon and far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
The surprise announcement - effectively an admission that by running again he would hurt his Socialist party's chances - marks the first time since France's fifth Republic was created in 1958 that an incumbent president has not sought a second mandate.
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