(Bloomberg) -- French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said his Socialist Party can still win next year's presidential election, adding that it's up to incumbent Francois Hollande to decide whether he wants to be a candidate.
“I think we can win if we stand up for what we have done in power,” Valls said Sunday on RTL radio, saying he is “loyal” to Hollande. “I want to defend our results,” he said, citing the French government's intervention in Mali and its payroll tax cut for business.
Hollande's approval ratings remain near record lows for any French president, with a poll this week showing about 13 percent of voters support him. He has pledged to announce whether he's running in the spring election by mid-December.
Valls admonished fellow Socialists for criticizing the government.
“I've had enough of this left that is to ashamed to assume the responsibilities of government,” he said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Mark Deen in Paris at markdeen@bloomberg.net, Francois de Beaupuy in Paris at fdebeaupuy@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Fergal O'Brien at fobrien@bloomberg.net, Geraldine Amiel at gamiel@bloomberg.net, James Herron at jherron9@bloomberg.net, Keith Campbell, Rob Verdonck
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