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While Emmanuel Macron is on the starting line for the next presidential election, five years ago to the day, his predecessor gave up standing as a candidate for his succession.
Concentrated, serious tone, the 1er December 2016 in a speech, François Hollande gives up being a candidate for his succession. If the announcement surprises, it is because a handful of them are aware of this decision. “I was informed, he told me in mid-November”, indicates the secretary general of the Elysee at the time, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, who adds to regret this decision. “He’s a real campaign animal. (…) He underestimated himself ”.
On the morning of December 1, the former president does not let anything appear that he is about to announce. However, his speech has been ready for two days and a room with a sober decor has been chosen for the occasion. It is at eight o’clock precisely that François Hollande pronounces these words: “I have decided not to be a candidate for the presidential election”. Gaspard Gantzer, then responsible for communications at the Élysée Palace, describes a heavy atmosphere: “Time has stood still, I heard from his voice that it was a trying moment, very sad for him. He knew he had made the right decision ”. Today, however, François Hollande does not rule out being a recourse during the presidential election of 2022.