French PM Valls to announce run for president

Paris: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls is expected to announce a presidential bid, in hopes of rallying the divided French left amid growing populist pressure ahead of France’s April-May presidential election.

Valls’ office says he will make an unspecified announcement Monday evening in the Paris suburb of Evry. Government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said on Francetvinfo that he learned Monday morning that Valls is expected to announce his candidacy.

President Francois Hollande, who is deeply unpopular, decided not to run for re-election. Valls, a center-leaning Socialist with a tough line on security and immigration, is somewhat more popular than his boss, but their party is in deep disarray over the government’s handling of the economy.

Valls may quit the government to concentrate on the campaign.