France's Hollande sees no reason to seek new term unless joblessness slows

PARIS, April 18, 2014 (Xinhua) --

French President Francois Hollande on Friday said he won't run for a second five-year mandate if he won't deliver on the pledge to reverse a long-running rise in unemployment.

"If unemployment does not drop until 2017, I have not any reason to be a candidate and no chance of being re-elected," Hollande said.

During a visit to tyre manufacturer Michelin in the central town of Clermont-Ferrand, the president affirmed that creating jobs for millions of young unemployed people topped the government's priorities.

"We will make all of our efforts (to hire more youth) because there is no other issue," he added.

After a short honeymoon at the Elysee Palace, Hollande's popularity tumbled sharply as unemployment continued to grow.

With only 18 percent of people satisfied with his policy, Hollande is one of the worst compared to his predecessors at the same point in their terms on persistent economic woes.

"... More there are jobseekers, lower will be Hollande's popularity and he will be judged only on his ability to create more posts and satisfy the growing job demands," Eric Bonnet, director of studies at BVA Opinion told Xinhua in an earlier interview.

Editor: yan

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