Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday has announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election.

法国前总统尼古拉·萨科齐周一宣布，他将参加2017年总统选举。

"I have decided to be a candidate for the 2017 presidential election. I felt I had the strength to lead this battle at a troubled time in our history," Sarkozy wrote on Twitter.

Sarkozy, 61, failed to secure a second mandate in 2012 after losing the runoff to the Socialist leader Francois Hollande.