French president François Hollande has suggested that he may not stand for re-election in 2017 if he fails to bring down unemployment by the end of his five-year term in office.
Admitting that he was wrong to pledge to halt the rise in jobless by the end of 2013 – as he did after his election in 2012 – the Socialist leader said on Thursday evening: “I may have committed mistakes … particularly over the reversal of the unemployment trend.
“I talked about reversing the trend in unemployment. It didn’t happen. I was criticised for this, because it was a high hope for many, especially those seeking work. If I cannot manage it by the end of my term in office, do you really think I would go before the French in 2017? The French would be merciless and they would be right.”
In a 90-minute midterm television appearance on TF1, Hollande answered questions briefly from the presenter before being quizzed by four members of the public chosen by the channel. His appearance came after polls showed only 12% of the French public had a positive opinion of their president, a record low for a French leader.
Hollande said he would go as far as was necessary to reform the country so that he could “look at myself in the mirror” at the end of his mandate.
Hollande was asked about his relationship with actor Julie Gayet, which caused his split with France’s former first lady, the journalist Valerie Trierweiler. He was also quizzed about Trierweiler’s claims that he was little more than a champagne socialist who liked the high life and fancy restaurants.
Hollande dodged the first question, citing “respect for my private life” and said the second was a caricature. However, he admitted that he “understood the pain” he had caused Trierweiler – whom he did not name – and suggested that he forgave her attacks.
He attacked the denigrating of France by the French, saying the country had much to be proud about. “Each time I’m abroad, France – and it’s not me but France – is respected … France is without doubt the most respected country in the world because each time there’s a difficult situation – like Ebola for example – it is towards France that people turn.”
