It should be noted that the term of the current head of the European Council, former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is set to end in May 2017, which is roughly the same time when Hollande will conclude his tenure as the President of France.
Emmanuel Dupuy, professor of geopolitics and president of the Institute for European Perspective and Security (IPSE), told Sputnik France that while these reports appear to be true, a French president whose term is about to end usually starts seeking a position at least equal to the one he held previously, and Francois Hollande is extremely unlikely to succeed in this endeavor.
"While these rumors keep coming up, I doubt that he stands a chance. First and foremost, the new president must endorse his candidacy, and if Francois Fillon wins, he won’t back Hollande; he’d probably endorse Nicolas Sarkozy instead," he said.
He pointed out that since "the three most important offices in the EU" are being occupied by rightist politicians, the balance in Europe demands that at least one them was replaced by a non-conservative. However, even this fact may not help Hollande in his quest for EC presidency due to one key factor.
"But we keep forgetting that most political leaders in 28 EU nations belong to the rightist camp. Therefore, I see no real possibility for Francois Hollande to claim that office," Dupuy surmised.
