French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he will run for another five-year term in elections starting in April.
Sarkozy has lagged behind Socialist candidate Francois Hollande in opinion polls for months. Pollsters say the President will face an uphill battle to convince disillusioned voters that they should elect him again.
Sarkozy made the announcement on national TV network TF1 on Wednesday night, saying, “Yes, I am a candidate.”
The first round of the two-round elections is just two months away, April 22. Sarkozy was widely expected to run but kept his intentions quiet as other candidates have been openly campaigning for months.