Hollande Says in Video He Would Prefer That a Man Succeed Him
Hollande Says in Video He Would Prefer That a Man Succeed Him
(Bloomberg) -- French President Francois Hollande said in a video recording that he would prefer to be succeeded by a man, obliquely expressing his opposition to National Front candidate Marine Le Pen.
In response to a question about his decision not to run for a second term, from an employee of pop culture website Konbini, Hollande said he would discuss his experiences with the next president and wish him success. Interrupted by another employee who said ‘him or her,’ Hollande smiled and replied, "I prefer to say ‘him’ at this stage."
The comment was a veiled reference to Le Pen. Hollande made that clear, amid laughter from the audience, by noting that he didn’t want to be disagreeable to Nathalie Arthaud, a labor-unionist who is the only other woman among the 11 candidates.
The video was recorded on April 6, Kombini said on its website. The video was posted on Wednesday.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Katz in Paris at akatz5@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alan Katz at akatz5@bloomberg.net.