Sarkozy "to announce presidential bid Wednesday"

Feb 14, 2012, 10:54 GMT

Paris - French President Nicolas Sarkozy will announce his bid for reelection in a television interview to be broadcast Wednesday evening, French media reported Tuesday.

France Info public radio and other media reported that Sarkozy would confirm he will seek a second five-year term in April/May elections in an interview with private broadcaster TF1.

Sarkozy had been expected to make the announcement at some point this week, ahead of a rally of his ruling Union for a Popular Movement in Marseille on Sunday.

He had initially hinted he might only confirm his candidacy in March but came under pressure from party members to bring forward his campaign to try to close the gap on Socialist candidate Francois Hollande.

With a little over two months to go to the first round of voting on April 22, opinion polls show Hollande enjoying a comfortable lead, with between 29.5 and 31 per cent of voter intentions, compared with between 24.5 and 26 per cent for Sarkozy.