Hollande’s Camp Prepares for Battle a Year ahead of Elections
Local Editor
In a try to burnish the image of the deeply unpopular leader, French President Francois Hollande's allies have launched a battle for next year elections.
The presidential ambitions of upstart Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron and the latest string of anti-government protests are but two of the headaches facing Hollande.
But his camp is working hard to extol the government's positive achievements, and this week launched an initiative called "He Oh La Gauche!" [Hey - The Left!] - a sort of jab in the ribs to rally the left.
This is no easy feat when Hollande is plumbing the depths of public opinion -- in a poll this week, only 17 percent thought he was a good president. And his Socialist Party and the left in general are deeply divided.
"The moment has come for us to wake up. We are here to mobilize and defend our achievements," government spokesman and Hollande ally Stephane Le Foll told the first meeting of the new movement on Monday night, attended by about 600 people.
Hollande is trying hard to convince the French that things have improved, with growth inching upwards and unemployment slowly falling.
This idea received a boost with new figures Tuesday showing a steep drop in job-seekers in March.
Conspicuous by his absence at the meeting was Macron, Hollande's 38-year-old protege whose every move has been scrutinized by the French press seeking clues of presidential ambitions.
Daily appearances, regular high-profile media interviews and the launch of his own political movement "En Marche" ["On the Move"] have fueled the speculation, and prompted fellow ministers to call him to order.
Hollande, 61, was elected in 2012 after ousting conservative president Nicolas Sarkozy. He has had a torrid term in office, with record unemployment and ever-increasing public anger over policies perceived as favoring business over workers.
His party has lost five major elections in a row, the far-right National Front has surged in popularity and every effort to institute reforms has run into massive street protests.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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