French president Francois Hollande will not run for second term

France's Socialist president Francois Hollande has announced he will not seek a second term in office.

Mr Hollande is the most unpopular leader in the country's modern history following economic concerns and security fears after a series of terror attacks.

It is the first time since 1958 that an incumbent French president has not sought re-election.

And his decision throws the selection of a Socialist candidate for next year's presidential race wide open.

Mr Hollande, 62, said: "I am aware today of the risk that going down a route that would not gather sufficient support would entail."

He said he decided against running again because he wanted to give the Socialists a chance to win "against conservatism and extremism".

He said he remained "lucid" about his chances of getting wide backing within the party, which remains deeply divided over his policies.

Mr Hollande added: "In the months to come my sole duty will be to continue to lead the state, the mandate for which you elected me in 2012."

If he had won the nomination he would have faced a tough task to even make the second round of voting in the election.

All recent polls have predicted neither Mr Hollande nor any other socialist candidate would make it past round one.

They predict a run-off battle between centre-right conservative candidate Francois Fillon and the leader of the far-right National Front, Marine Le Pen.

The Left is deeply divided as it approaches the two-round presidential election on 23 April and 7 May.

Several socialists, including former economy minister Arnaud Montebourg, have said they will take part in the left-wing primaries in January.

And a few days ago, Mr Hollande's prime minister and number two, Manuel Valls, said he was "ready" to compete.

Another of his ex-ministers, Emmanuel Macron, and leftist firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon have said they will run in the presidential election but without taking part in the primaries.

Mr Hollande had been expected to say in the coming weeks whether he would run again.

The president repeatedly said he would only seek re-election if he was able to curb the unemployment rate, which has hovered for years around 10%.

At the weekend, the conservatives chose Mr Fillon as the Republican candidate.

On Thursday, he tweeted: "This evening, the President of the Republic admits with lucidity, that his patent failure prevents him from going on further.

"This five-year term is ending in a political mess and the dissolving of power."