France's former president François Hollande will run for a seat in the National Assembly in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
"The extreme right has never been so close to power. There is political confusion in our country," the 69-year-old socialist said on social media platform X on Saturday, announcing his candidacy.
In view of this serious situation, Hollande said he had decided to run as part of the new joint left-wing Popular Front movement in the department of Corrèze in south-western France.
Hollande was France's head of state from 2012 to 2017.
The Socialists, France's Left Party, the Greens and the Communists announced on Friday that they would run together as an alliance in the parliamentary elections, without initially naming a lead candidate in the event of victory.
Even after the end of his time as president, Hollande has remained present in France's political life. His successor Emmanuel Macron also consults with him from time to time.
In response to the defeat of his liberal forces in the European elections and the resounding victory of the right-wing nationalists last Sunday, Macron unexpectedly dissolved the National Assembly and announced snap elections for June 30 and July 7.