French President Mr Jacques Chirac has announced he will seek a second term as head of state.
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Mr Jacques Chirac
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The announcement opens the way for two months of intense campaigning before elections start in April.
Mr Chirac (69) is expected to face a close contest with Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, with whom he has ruled in an awkward system of cohabitation since 1997. Mr Jospin has said he will probably seek the presidency.
If Mr Jospin stands, it will be the second time the two men have clashed in presidential polls. Mr Chirac, founder of the conservative Rally for the Republic party, beat Mr Jospin in the 1995 with 52.6 per cent of votes cast in the second round.
The first round of the election will be on April 21st, with the run-off second round set for May 5th. The presidency has been shortened to five years from the traditional seven-year term.
Parliamentary elections will follow in June. Pollsters say the French are fed up with cohabitation, which stifles clear policy initiatives, and will probably elect a parliament in line with the president's political sympathies.