French president Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday he would decide "some time at the end of the summer" or "at the beginning of autumn" next year if he will stand for re-election in 2012.
Sarkozy's centre-right party was heavily beaten in regional elections last month and his approval ratings have fallen sharply as concern over the fragile state of the economy and disapproval of his restless governing style have grown.
There have been increasingly open signs of discontent in his UMP party and several potential centre-right candidates, including former prime ministers Dominique de Villepin and Alain Juppe, have signalled that they may run in 2012.
Sarkozy, who has refused on several occasions to confirm he will stand for re-election, brushed aside a controversy over rumours about his marriage and said voters were more concerned about jobs and everyday security than about other issues.
"That's not the problem for people," he told US television station CBS during a visit to Washington where he is attending a summit meeting on nuclear security. "They want someone to get them out of the crisis, they want less unemployment, more growth, more spending power," he said.
