France's Election Could Be Decided Six Months Early

Polls suggest Hollande doesn't stand a chance of re-election
The Republicans have 11 declared candidates plus Sarkozy

French President Francois Hollande.
Photographer: Guillaume Souvant/AFP via Getty Images

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By Helene Fouquet and Mark Deen

April 25, 2016 at 4:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

France’s next president won’t take office until May next year, but voters will have a pretty good idea who their next head of state will be a lot sooner than that.

With President Francois Hollande’s prospect of re-election looking increasingly remote, the battle for the main opposition’s nomination in November is shaping up as the real contest. That’s why the race has already drawn 11 candidates, including two former prime ministers, with an ex-president, Nicolas Sarkozy, hovering undeclared on the sidelines.