Former French PM mulls run for mayor... of Barcelona

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Manuel Valls, France's prime minister under Francois Hollande, is expected to announce on Tuesday whether he will relaunch his political career - in Spain.

Valls, who has dual French and Spanish citizenship, has teased over whether he would run for mayor of Barcelona over recent weeks.

On Friday, Valls tweeted a photograph of his feet on a tiled floor accompanied by the word "Barcelona."

Twitter Screenshot

"I was born in Barcelona and I feel Catalonian, I've always said it," France24 quoted Valls as saying at a book signing in early September. "Catalonia's strength is that it is Catalonian, Spanish and European all at once."

If the 56-year-old does announce his candidacy for the May 2019 election, it is likely to be as an opponent of Catalan independence unaffiliated to existing parties - although he has been linked to Ciudadanos.

Valls, who has a Spanish father and Swiss mother, was born in Barcelona while his parents were holidaying there. He has spent most of his life in France, but has recently taught classes at the ESADE Law School in the Catalan city and has spoken at anti-separatist rallies.

France24 reported that Valls has been linked to Susana Gallardo, a prominent anti-separatist and heiress to the Almirall pharmaceutical company. The pair recently appeared on the cover of Paris Match, prompting Valls to sue the magazine for invasion of privacy.

Then French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (L) and then Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron (R) in Paris, France, March 9, 2016. /VCG Photo

Valls resigned as prime minister in December 2016 to run in the country's 2017 presidential election, but ultimately lost his Socialist Party's nomination to Benoit Hamon.

He was Emmanuel Macron's boss as prime minister and backed the former economy minister in the presidential election. However, Macron ruled out bringing Valls into government and the president's La Republique en Marche party refused to allow him to run under its banner in parliamentary elections.

Valls ultimately won election as a deputy to the National Assembly as an independent unopposed by Macron's party, a position that would come into question should he confirm his candidacy to be mayor of the Spanish city.

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