Answer
In the 2017 presidential election, François Bayrou opted not to run. Bayrou had previously run in the 2002, 2007, and 2012 presidential elections, but he decided to step aside in 2017 in favor of Emmanuel Macron. Bayrou believed that Macron was the best candidate to defeat Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate who ultimately lost to Macron in the runoff election.