French politics: Prime Minister Manuel Valls will step down

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls will step down on Tuesday to focus on presidential bid.

A snap opinion poll conducted soon after Hollande's recent announcements that he will not seek a second term next year showed that Socialist voters and French voters collectively wanted Valls to win his party ticket to run for president in the upcoming elections.

France's presidential election is scheduled in two rounds in April and May 2017 and the Socialists are reportedly behind Les Republicans and the far-right National Front parties, according to latest opinion polls.