French Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls has announced he is standing in next year’s presidential election.
Mr Valls said he wanted to “give everything for France”. He was speaking days after President Francois Hollande announced he would not be running.
Mr Valls will face other contenders in the Socialist primary next month.
If successful, he will be set to face Francois Fillon and Marine Le Pen in the first round of the presidential election in April.
Current polling suggest that Ms Le Pen, leader of the far-right Front National, could come in the top two in the first round, but would be likely to lose to the centre-right Mr Fillon in the second.
But Mr Valls, who will resign from his government role on Tuesday, is not guaranteed to win the primary, which will involve at least seven other Socialist candidates.
