Anne Hidalgo, the Socialist mayor of Paris, has sought to transform the French capital with a crusade against cars but now faces an even tougher challenge of expanding her profile nationally to become France's first female president.

Hidalgo, 62, was a virtual unknown seven years ago when she succeeded her former mentor and boss, Bertrand Delanoe, as mayor of Paris -- a position seen as a stepping stone to the presidency.

The reserved former labour inspector, dismissed by critics as an "apparatchik", struggled to emerge from his shadow.

But Hidalgo, who grew up in a housing estate near Lyon in a family of Spanish immigrants that fled dictator Francisco Franco's rule when she was two, is used to being underestimated.

Responding to polls that show her winning only between seven and nine percent of the vote for president, she told Paris Match magazine last month: "All my life I've proved the polls wrong."

Announcing her candidacy on Sunday, she credited her rise from humble beginnings to France's egalitarian school system, saying it had "liberated" her from "class prejudices".

"I want all children in France to have the same opportunities I had," she added.

- Attacks, floods, fire -

Since winning the mayor's office in 2014, she has had to steer the city through a multitude of crises, from a string of terror attacks to the "yellow vest" revolt of 2018 and 2019 and the fire that nearly destroyed Notre-Dame cathedral.

Yet her first term as Paris supremo -- Hidalgo handily won re-election in 2020 -- will probably best be remembered for the battle over her decision to pedestrianise a busy road running along the right bank of the Seine, and the chaotic rollout of a bike-sharing scheme.

Hidalgo makes no bones about her anti-car stance.

Her naysayers, she said in 2016, were in "complete denial about the climate emergency" that had brought nearly 200 countries together in Paris a year earlier to combat global warming.

But no sooner had one controversy died down than another flared.

Her critics accused her of failing to get tough on petty crime, of letting swarms of rats invade public parks, and generally allowing the world's most-visited city to become dirty and unsightly.

Residents used the #saccageparis (Trashed Paris) hashtag to post pictures of rubbish piling up on the streets, of dilapidated public benches and scooters discarded on the pavement, among other ills.

Hidalgo has blamed the disorder on a lack of civic spirit and accused her critics of mounting a smear campaign.

Responding to accusations of authoritarianism in her 2018 book "Respirer" (Breathe), the mother-of-three remarked: "What passes for authority in a man becomes authoritarianism in a woman."

- 'Time for a woman' -

Among her achievements she points to a cycling revolution, brought about by the doubling of Paris's network of cycle lanes since 2015.

Despite her disputed legacy Hidalgo has emerged as one of the few figures capable of uniting the fractured left around an environmentalist platform.

"Through her diligence and the way she has managed France's biggest city she has shown that she could be the one," Socialist party leader Olivier Faure said in June.

"And maybe the time for a woman has also come."

Hidalgo has also argued the case for having a woman as president.

She is not the only woman eyeing the Elysee Palace -- far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centre-right politician, Valerie Pecresse, have also thrown their hats into the ring.

Alluding to record low levels of voter turnout in recent elections, Hidalgo says: "A woman can change the relationship (of the French) with people in power."

The crowded field vying to unseat France's Macron
Paris (AFP) Sept 12, 2021 - An increasingly crowded field of candidates are vying to challenge Emmanuel Macron for the presidency in elections next year, with prominent figures joining the race in the last weeks and other heavyweights expect to declare.

Macron, in power since 2017, has not officially declared his candidacy for a second term but it would be a sensation if he did not stand.

Here are the most prominent figures in the election race:

FAR-RIGHT

- Marine Le Pen

She has already thrown her hat in the ring and will be setting her sights higher than her 2017 performance when she made it to the run-off second round but was then trounced by Macron.

Macron appears to have highlighted Le Pen as his main rival, shifting his own policies to the right in a bid to outflank her. But the party has fared badly in recent local elections and some in the party have raised questions over her leadership.

- Eric Zemmour

The TV pundit has won a major following for his diatribes against migration and the Muslim headscarf. He has yet to confirm plans to stand but could decide to challenge to Le Pen's far-right hegemony.

Zemmour, boosted by an appeals court acquittal on September 8 over charges of inciting racial hatred, could choose a tour to promote a new book later this month to announce his intentions.

RIGHT

- Xavier Bertrand

The former minister was one of the very first to declare back in March, boosted by strong results in regional elections.

It was unclear whether he would stand as the formal candidate of The Republicans or as an independent.

Bertrand had stated that he will not be standing on behalf of the main right-wing faction The Republicans (LR) and would not take part in a primary to choose a single contender. But there have been signs of a reconciliation between him and the LR in recent days.

- Michel Barnier

The EU's former Brexit negotiator announced his candidacy in August, immediately striking out territory on the right by saying he wanted a France that was "respected" as well as a moratorium on immigration.

Barnier won respect for his deft handling of the difficult Brexit talks, although it remains to be seen if he could transfer these skills to the rough-and-tumble of a campaign.

- Edouard Philippe

The former prime minister, jettisoned by Macron last year after reportedly becoming too popular for his own good, has been playing his cards close to his chest.

The Le Havre mayor met dozens of like-minded right-wing and centrist mayors early this year, increasing speculation he may stand. As yet, he has not declared.

- Valerie Pecresse

The head of the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris announced her candidacy in July, saying she wanted to "restore French pride".

Some analysts believe she could emerge as a relatively serious contender, but Pecresse faces stiff competition to from the all-male cast of leading figures on the traditional right.

LEFT

- Anne Hidalgo

The Socialist Party has been floundering since the one-term (2012-2017) presidency of Francois Hollande, who ended up so unpopular he did not even try to seek a second mandate.

Some believe Paris mayor Hidalgo could yet be its saviour, but after declaring her candidacy she will have to lift single-figure polling ratings and prove she can be a president of all France and not just the capital.

- The Greens

Europe Ecology - The Greens party is set to hold a primary in September to choose its candidate, with the nomination set to go to either former Greenpeace campaigner Yannick Jadot, Grenoble Mayor Eric Piolle or former deputy party chief Sandrine Rousseau.

Whoever wins, their task will be to transfer the dazzling success the Greens enjoyed in 2020 local elections, where they picked up several big city halls, to the national level.

FAR LEFT

- Jean-Luc Melenchon

The leader of the far-left France Unbowed party was fast into the starting blocks and declared his candidacy months ago.

But he will probably struggle to match his effort from the 2017 edition where he was a major factor in the campaign and polled almost 20 percent in the first round.

- Arnaud Montebourg

The former minister under Hollande entered the fray in September, vowing a "remontada" (rebound) for France.

Seen as to the left of Hidalgo but more moderate than Melenchon, he ran in left-wing presidential primaries in 2011 and 2017 but failed to win a nomination.

Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com

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