1st LD: France's Hollande to announce decision on possible presidential bid on Dec. 10

French President Francois Hollande will make known on Dec. 10 whether he will seek a second five-year term in next year's presidential election, officials here said Tuesday.

"The president said he would give his response (on a possible presidential bid) on Dec. 10," Didier Guillaume, head of the Socialist group in the senate and a close ally of Hollande, told Public Senat television late on Tuesday.

Government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said Wednesday in an interview with news channel BFMTV that there is no doubt Hollande will launch a presidential bid, but declined to give a date for the announcement.

"It's he who will announce the date and the decision," he said.

During a recent prime-time interview, Hollande had said he would announce his decision by the end of 2016.

Traditionally, the incumbent head of state represents his party in an election, without a contest. But prospects of a primary have been raised due to Hollande's record-low approval ratings.

French pollsters predicted the Socialist leader would lose in the first round of the upcoming elections if he sought re-election.

Opinions polls also showed Hollande, who is trying to improve the country's employment rate, would lose to his former economy minister Emmanuel Macron, who has declared his candidacy.

With his economic credibility already on the line, Hollande has set reversing jobless claims as a condition to extend his stay at the Elysee Palace, betting on a better business climate and various devices he implemented to encourage hiring.

France's jobless claims dropped by 1.9 percent at the end of September compared to a month earlier, reaching the lowest level since 1996, according to labor ministry data.

France's left-wing parties are scheduled to hold primaries on Jan. 22 and 29. Endi