"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 Facebook.

Sarkozy, 61, lost the 2012 election to the now deeply unpopular President Francois Hollande at the last election in 2012.

While Sarkozy has retained much of his popularity from his last presidency, the center-right candidate is sure to meet significant resistance from his National Front competitor, Marine le Pen, who according to recent polls, holds a sizable advantage over the former president, and one which is likely to grow with every incremental terrorist attack on French soil.