Former French president François Hollande is back in the public eye with a new book, Unite. New World, New Left, released on Thursday. The volume contains 80 policy proposals for France, a blend of social-democratic tradition and pragmatic centrism that has already stirred speculation about his political ambitions.
Hollande, who led France from 2012 to 2017, has been careful not to confirm a run for the Élysée. In interviews, he has said he will wait until December to make up his mind. He has also ruled out taking part in the left-wing primary scheduled for October, preferring to see whether a credible candidate emerges before committing himself.
The former president's decision not to seek a second term in 2017 came after record-low approval ratings. Nearly a decade later, his book argues that France must change its methods, outlook and "level of ambition". Speaking to France Inter on Wednesday, he framed the current moment as a struggle against polarisation: "The challenge is to bring the French together," he said, warning that "extremists thrive on division" and that France must assert its independence from both Washington and Moscow.
Proposals that break with the Socialist Party line
Several of Hollande's proposals put him at odds with the Socialist Party (PS). He dismisses the so-called Zucman tax on the ultra-wealthy as "a slogan, not a solution". On pensions, while the PS wants to restore the legal retirement age to 62, Hollande suggests setting it at 63 and gradually increasing the contribution period. "The reference age has to take account of rising life expectancy and be adjusted constantly," he writes. He also proposes capping pension indexation at 1% for five years and adding a funded component managed by social partners.
On the economic front, Hollande wants to boost take-home pay by cutting employee social contributions. To compensate for the loss to the social security system, he proposes a more progressive tax on financial income and a gradual rise in the standard VAT rate from 20% to 24%. He claims this would raise wages by about 10% for everyone. To soften the impact of the VAT increase, he would abolish the reduced 5.5% rate on food and energy renovation, and temporarily remove it on fuel. He also suggests cutting production taxes by reducing aid to businesses, a measure reminiscent of conservative candidate Édouard Philippe's platform.
These ideas have not gone unnoticed. François Bayrou, leader of the centrist MoDem party, told Radio J that Hollande is now putting forward "ideas that are more compatible than they used to be" with the centre. A senior figure in Philippe's Horizons party told AFP that Hollande "gives the impression of being a centre-right candidate. It's an interesting positioning." Another presidential hopeful observed that he "still sounds very right-wing for a candidate of the left."
Hollande insists he remains "a socialist" and retains left-wing principles. His book includes plans to tax large inheritances and estates worth more than €10 million, raise employee representation on company boards to 30%, and introduce a €10,000 grant called "entrée dans la vie" for young people doing civic service.
Europe and the world
Hollande paints a grim picture of the global situation, writing: "Democracies are being buffeted by turmoil, struck by the eruption of wars, planetary warming, soaring inequalities, the abuses of drug trafficking and the AI revolution. Fears feed anger, which extremists harness by sowing division." He argues that "the coming year will determine more than our future. It will decide the fate of our continent and our place in the world."
On Europe, he defends France's role within the EU while calling for stronger strategic autonomy. In April, at a Breton political event, he warned: "We must not imagine that once Donald Trump is no longer president, the United States will return to Europe as before. That era is over." He has also advocated a multi-speed Europe, with a core group of six to eight member states steering the "industries of the future, from digital technology to artificial intelligence", as well as defence.
Whether Hollande's centrist overtures will win over voters remains to be seen. His book is being read as an attempt to position himself as a unifying figure in a fragmented political landscape, but his past record and the crowded field of candidates make any comeback uncertain. For now, the former president is keeping his options open, and the French political class is watching closely.
