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| France's Emmanuel Macron to unveil presidency bid | France's Emmanuel Macron to unveil presidency bid |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| France's former Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron looks set to unveil his bid for the presidency on Wednesday. | France's former Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron looks set to unveil his bid for the presidency on Wednesday. |
| Mr Macron, who quit the Socialist government in August, is expected to end speculation at a press conference. | Mr Macron, who quit the Socialist government in August, is expected to end speculation at a press conference. |
| But there is a possibility he will not be joining the Socialist race, instead standing for the centrist movement he created in April, En Marche. | |
| Meanwhile, President Francois Hollande has said France's state of emergency should continue until the election. | Meanwhile, President Francois Hollande has said France's state of emergency should continue until the election. |
| It was due to be lifted in January, having been in place since the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris. Mr Hollande's proposal would see it kept until 7 May, the second and final round of the presidential election. | It was due to be lifted in January, having been in place since the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris. Mr Hollande's proposal would see it kept until 7 May, the second and final round of the presidential election. |
| It is not known whether Mr Hollande, who has the lowest popularity ratings of any post-war president, will be standing for re-election. | It is not known whether Mr Hollande, who has the lowest popularity ratings of any post-war president, will be standing for re-election. |
| But those close to Mr Macron - a one-time protege of the current president - were also refusing to be drawn on whether Wednesday would see an announcement. | But those close to Mr Macron - a one-time protege of the current president - were also refusing to be drawn on whether Wednesday would see an announcement. |
| Mr Macron, who has never been elected, launched En Marche to promote "new ideas... neither of the right nor the left". The movement now has more than 96,000 members and has already received 2.7m euros ($2.9m; £2.3m) in donations. | Mr Macron, who has never been elected, launched En Marche to promote "new ideas... neither of the right nor the left". The movement now has more than 96,000 members and has already received 2.7m euros ($2.9m; £2.3m) in donations. |
| It is thought any presidential bid will aim to exploit the deep divisions in the French left. | It is thought any presidential bid will aim to exploit the deep divisions in the French left. |
| But despite a survey saying 38% believe Mr Macron would be a good president, it is predicted the election will end in a second-round runoff between National Front (FN) leader Marine le Pen and a centre-right Republican candidate, most likely either former Prime Minister Alain Juppe or former President Nicolas Sarkozy. | But despite a survey saying 38% believe Mr Macron would be a good president, it is predicted the election will end in a second-round runoff between National Front (FN) leader Marine le Pen and a centre-right Republican candidate, most likely either former Prime Minister Alain Juppe or former President Nicolas Sarkozy. |
| However, Mr Sarkozy's bid was dealt a blow on Tuesday after new allegations that he received millions of euros in illegal financing from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's regime emerged just days before a crucial vote. | However, Mr Sarkozy's bid was dealt a blow on Tuesday after new allegations that he received millions of euros in illegal financing from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's regime emerged just days before a crucial vote. |
| Mr Sarkozy and his former chief of staff have denied wrongdoing in the case, which involves funding for his winning the 2007 presidential campaign. | Mr Sarkozy and his former chief of staff have denied wrongdoing in the case, which involves funding for his winning the 2007 presidential campaign. |