François Hollande wins French presidential election | World news | The Guardian French elections 2012 François Hollande wins French presidential election Nicolas Sarkozy concedes defeat to Socialist party candidate, who has become first leftwing president in almost 20 years François Hollande supporters react in a concert hall in Villeurbanne to a projection showing that the Socialist party candidate had won the French election. Photograph: Reuters Sunday 6 May 2012 14.31 EDT First published on Sunday 6 May 2012 14.31 EDT Close This article is 4 years old François Hollande has won power in France, turning the tide on a rightwards and xenophobic lurch in European politics and vowing to transform Europe's handling of the economic crisis by fighting back against German-led austerity measures. The 57-year-old rural MP and self-styled Mr Normal, a moderate social democrat from the centre of the Socialist party, is France's first leftwing president in almost 20 years. Projections from early counts, released by French TV, put his score at 51.9%.

His emphatic victory is a boost to the left in a continent that has gradually swung rightwards since the economic crisis broke four years ago. Nicolas Sarkozy , defeated after one term in office, became the 11th European leader to lose power since the economic crisis in 2008. He conceded defeat at a gathering of his party activists at the Mutualité in central Paris, urging them from the stage to stop booing Hollande. "I carry all the responsibility for this defeat," he said. He had spoken to Hollande to congratulate him. "From the bottom of my heart I want France to succeed with the challenges it faces. It is something much greater than us; France. This evening we must think exclusively of France ." He said that after 35 years in politics and 10 years at the top of government, he would now become a simple "Frenchman among the French". The defeat of the most unpopular French president ever to run for re-election was not simply the result of the global financial crisis or eurozone debt turmoil. It was also down to the intense public dislike of the man viewed by many as the "president of the rich" who had swept to victory in 2007 with a huge mandate to change France.

The majority of French people felt he had failed to deliver on his promises, and he was criticised for his ostentatious display of wealth, favouring the rich and leaving behind over 2.8 million unemployed. Political analysts said anti-Sarkozy sentiment had become a cultural phenomenon in France. Hollande is the first Socialist president to win a French election since François Mitterrand's re-election in 1988. Hours before the official announcement, hordes of cheering supporters began gathering at Paris's Place de la Bastille, a flashpoint of the 1789 French revolution, where the left had celebrated Mitterrand's first historic victory in 1981. The right has held the French presidency since Jacques Chirac's victory in 1995. Hollande's first move as president will be to push Germany to renegotiate Europe's budget discipline pact to include a clause on growth. He has vowed to push growth measures to the centre of Brussels' handling of the eurozone crisis. Ségolène Royal, Hollande's former partner who was defeated by Sarkozy in 2007, said France had voted for change and a new approach to European economic policy.

Manuel Valls, tipped for a cabinet post, said Hollande now had to reconcile a France that had been divided during Sarkozy's term. Hollande's victory comes after a brutal and vitriolic campaign marked by the high score of the farright Front National's Marine Le Pen, who came third in the first round with 17.9% and 6.4m votes. Sarkozy, who had launched his campaign in February with a marked rightwing slant on the values of work, family and national identity, lurched even further towards the extreme right as he courted Le Pen's voters in the past two weeks, stressing the far-right topics of immigration, borders and fear of Islam. Hollande, who has vowed to begin his reforms as soon as he takes office on 15 May, has accepted he will have "no state of grace" leading a country crippled by public debt and in economic crisis, with unemployment nudging a record 10%, a gaping trade-deficit, stuttering growth and declining industry. France's public debt is so high that interest repayments alone account for the second highest state expenditure after education.

The rating agency Standards and Poors this year downgraded France's triple-A credit rating, saying that over-high state spending was straining public finances. During the campaign, both Hollande and Sarkozy had promised to balance the books, – France hasn't had a balanced budget for over 30 years. Hollande's manifesto is based on scrapping Sarkozy's tax-breaks for the rich and putting up taxes for high earners to finance what he deems essential spending, including creating 60,000 posts in France's under-performing school system. He has pledged to keep the public deficit capped, but for his delicate balancing act to work, he needs a swift return to growth in France, despite economists warning of over-optimistic official growth forecasts that need to be trimmed. Asked on Friday what he would do if he loses, Sarkozy said simply: "There will be a handover of power. The nation follows its course. The nation is stronger than the destiny of the men who serve it," he said. The turn-out was high, estimated at around 80%.

First meeting backs 30% wage reduction for all ministers and president, but UMP says new government is bigger and costlier Published: 17 May 2012 The two men stood together during armistice commemorations before laying a wreath together and greeting veterans Published: 8 May 2012 France's president-elect, François Hollande, and his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy attend Victory Day commemorations together at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris Published: 8 May 2012 French president promises to unite country and a "new path" EU during low-key inauguration before meeting with Angela Merkel Published: 15 May 2012 France Elections: Hollande Beats Sarkozy To Become French President | The Huffington Post France Elections: Hollande Beats Sarkozy To Become French President 05/06/2012 02:06 pm ET | Updated May 06, 2012 23k AP/The Huffington Post In an almost universally expected result, Socialist candidate François Hollande has unseated French president Nicolas Sarkozy, winning the French presidential runoff Sunday, France 24 reports.

Hollande won 51.9 percent to Sarkozy's 48.1 percent. Reuters has also confirmed Mr. Hollande's victory . Mr. Sarkozy trailed Mr. Hollande in the days leading up to the runoff, according to the New York Times, and his popularity waned in the face of high unemployment, austerity and a possible recession throughout Europe. The two candidates advanced to a runoff election after first-round elections held on April 22; according to France 24, Hollande won 28.63 percent of votes, while Sarkozy won 27.18 percent of votes. The surprise result of the first-round came for third-place Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front, who won a surprising 17.90 percent of votes, the highest the right-wing party had ever secured in a presidential race. Read the full report from the Associated Press below. By ANGELA CHARLTON Associated Press PARIS (AP) -- Socialist Francois Hollande defeated conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday to become France's next president, heralding a change in how Europe tackles its debt crisis and how France flexes its military and diplomatic muscle around the world.

Sarkozy conceded defeat minutes after the polls closed, saying he had called Hollande to wish him "good luck" as the country's new leader. Exuberant crowds filled the Place de la Bastille, the iconic plaza of the French Revolution, to celebrate Hollande's victory. He will be France's first leftist chief of state since Francois Mitterrand was president from 1981 to 1995. Sarkozy thanked his supporters and said he did his best to win a second term, despite widespread anger at his handling of the economy. "I take responsibility ... for the defeat," he said. Hollande's former partner and mother of his four children, Segolene Royal, said she has a "feeling of profound joy to see millions and millions of French renew the tie to the left." "The French can be confident," she said on France-2 television. "We will need everyone to help the country recover." Royal faced off Sarkozy in the 2007 election. Partial official results, with about half of the nationwide votes counted, showed Hollande with 50.8 percent compared to 49.2 percent for Sarkozy.

The CSA, TNS-Sofres and Ipsos polling agencies predicted that Hollande will win with 51.8 percent to 53 percent, compared with 47 percent to 48.2 percent for Sarkozy. They made projections based on the vote count at select voting stations around the country. Hollande wants to renegotiate a hard-won European treaty on budget cuts that Germany's Angela Merkel and Sarkozy had championed. He wants more government stimulus, and more government spending in general despite concerns from markets that France needs to urgently trim its huge debts. The election outcome could also have an impact on how long French troops stay in Afghanistan and how France exercises its military and diplomatic muscle around the world. French Elections 2012 Hollande Defeats Sarkozy in France - The New York Times The New York Times Europe |Hollande Ousts Sarkozy in French Presidential Election Search Photo François Hollande addressed supporters in Tulle, France. Credit Philippe Desmazes/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images PARIS — François Hollande defeated President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday, becoming the first Socialist elected president of France since François Mitterrand. Mr.

Hollande campaigned on a gentler and more inclusive France, but his victory will also be seen as a challenge to the German-dominated vision of economic austerity as a way out of the euro crisis. Mr. Sarkozy became the latest European leader to lose his post amid economic upheaval and the first French incumbent to be rejected since 1981. In his five years in office, he propelled France, and himself, into a more central role in world affairs, rejoining the NATO military command and helping drive an international military campaign in Libya. He also proved to be a difficult but crucial ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany in their joint effort to master the European debt and currency crisis and save the euro. That project, however, received multiple blows on Sunday, when Greek voters sent their own message against austerity. They handed the two main parties, both of which had pledged to follow harsh international bailout terms, significant losses as they streamed to parties on the far left and far right that have opposed budget cuts. In the process, voters cast into question the ability of any party to form a government soon, let alone continue with the austerity program. For their part, French voters may not like belt-tightening, but both Mr. Hollande and Mr.

Sarkozy had promised to balance the budget in the next five years. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The balance between reducing the debt and addressing popular anger is proving complicated for Europeans, and Mr. Hollande has said that he intends to give “a new direction to Europe,” demanding that a European Union treaty limiting debt be expanded to include measures to produce economic growth. Domestically, he has promised to raise taxes on big corporations and raise the tax rate to 75 percent for those earning more than one million euros a year. Calling his victory “a fresh start,” Mr. Hollande pronounced: “Austerity need not be Europe’s fate.” The vote was viewed domestically as a rejection of Mr. Sarkozy and his relentless effort to appeal to the voters of the far-right National Front. “I take the measure of the honor that’s been given me and the challenge that awaits me,” Mr. Hollande said before cheering supporters in the central French town of Tulle, which he represents in Parliament. Mr. Hollande’s victory was narrow but undisputed. With 95 percent of the vote counted, official results showed him with 51.6 percent of the vote while Mr.

Sarkozy, of the center-right Union for a Popular Movement, had 48.4 percent, The Associated Press said. While thanking Mr. Sarkozy for his service to France, Mr. Hollande said: “Too many divisions, too many wounds, too many ruptures, too many cuts have separated our fellow citizens from one another. That’s all finished.” After weeks of energetic, and at times bellicose, campaigning, Mr. Sarkozy was gracious in defeat. “François Hollande is the president of the republic, he must be respected,” Mr. Sarkozy said after calling Mr. Hollande to congratulate him. “I want to wish him good luck in the midst of these tests.” Speaking earlier to party members, Mr. Sarkozy said that he would not lead the party into June’s legislative elections and that now, “I become a citizen among you.” He urged supporters not to give in to division, though, as he saw those elections as winnable for the party. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The French and Greek elections were closely watched in European capitals and particularly in Berlin, where Ms.

Merkel has led the drive to cure the euro zone debt and banking crisis with deep budget cuts and caps on future spending. She spoke on the telephone with Mr. Hollande on Sunday night, congratulating him on his victory in the election, according to a statement by her spokesman, Steffen Seibert. Mr. Hollande has said for months that his first trip will be to Berlin. Photo President Nicolas Sarkozy addressed supporters in Paris. Credit Michel Euler/Associated Press But Ms. Merkel herself was embroiled in electoral politics on Sunday, suffering setbacks in elections in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, where her party appeared to be losing its hold on the state Parliament. With another election coming May 13 in North Rhine-Westphalia, Ms. Merkel is not viewed as having much room domestically to compromise on the critical issues of inflation and debt limits. “How Hollande handles Merkel could make or break his prospects for the next five years,” said François Heisbourg of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris.

“He has favorable circumstances, but she has domestic politics, too,” he said, and she is seen as likely to agree only to symbolic changes in the fiscal pact — not renegotiating it so much as adding clauses about growth to it. Mr. Hollande, who may take over as president as early as May 14, will have little time to relax. He must travel to the United States for a meeting of the Group of 8 industrialized countries on May 18-19 and then a NATO summit meeting in Chicago on May 20-21, where he intends to make good on his promise to pull French combat troops out of Afghanistan by the end of this year, and where American and NATO officials will try to get him to change his mind. Mr. Hollande’s victory will also have important implications for the right in France, with Mr. Sarkozy’s party already split between the prime minister, François Fillon, and the Sarkozy-like party leader, Jean-François Copé. The strong showing of Marine Le Pen of the National Front, who got nearly 18 percent of the vote in the first round of the presidential election, is a serious threat to Mr. Sarkozy’s party.

It now must decide whether to make a deal with Ms. Le Pen for assembly seats in the second round of the legislative election; if not, the Union for a Popular Movement could lose up to 100 seats, political experts say. Mr. Hollande campaigned on “change” and a more traditional presidency, where he would set the main course of policy but not micromanage day-to-day affairs, as Mr. Sarkozy did. For the French, “it is a leap of faith that shows there is a strong will for a different policy course, not just at the national but at the E.U. level as well,” said Paul Vallet, a professor of history and political science at the Paris-based Institut d’Études Politiques. The indebted countries of Europe are also hoping that Mr. Hollande can be a champion buying them more time to adjust. “Some countries in Europe are banking on that,” Mr. Vallet said. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Domestically, Mr. Hollande said he would raise taxes in a drive to balance the budget by 2017.

He has vowed to raise the minimum wage, hire 60,000 more teachers over five years and lower the retirement age from 62 to 60 for manual workers who started their work as teenagers. Voter turnout Sunday was about 81 percent of the 46 million registered voters, down from the 84 percent who participated in the last presidential ballot five years ago — the highest turnout since 1974. The French, voting under gray skies with some rain, expressed a sharp desire for change and a better economic future. Nicole Hirsch, a 60-year-old retiree in the working-class 20th arrondissement of Paris, said she was voting for Mr. Hollande in the hope that he would “bring the change that France needs.” Claire, a 26-year-old engineer in Paris, agreed that change was needed, but still cast her ballot for Mr. Sarkozy. “I would like to believe in the Socialists’ sweet dream, but unfortunately, it is not going to happen,” she said, asking for privacy reasons not to use her last name.

“Their program is unclear and not concrete.” Pierre Marcus, a 59-year-old civil servant, said his vote for Mr. Hollande was motivated by a hope that a Socialist government would take steps to promote economic growth and soften the blow of the crisis on average citizens. “Five years of Sarkozy dismantled social institutions,” Mr. Marcus said. “I think that Hollande will reverse French politics in terms of employment and social issues.” Sebastien Modat, 38, who works in marketing, stopped his jog to get a newspaper. “I found that Hollande had the power to bring people together,” he said. “The right was compelled to take up its traditional topics, creating tension among people.” But the main question, he said, “is how we are going to resume growth.” He voted for Mr. Sarkozy five years ago, but on Sunday cast a blank ballot. “I hope there will be a change in mentalities and more consensus.” Correction: May 7, 2012 A Web summary with an earlier version of this article erroneously stated that Mr. Sarkozy was the first French incumbent to be rejected since 1995. The last time a French incumbent lost re-election was 1981.

Reporting was contributed by Maïa de la Baume in Tulle, France, and Scott Sayare, Nicola Clark, Elvire Camus, Palko Karasz, Eleanor Stanford, Roswana Khan and Meghan Davidson Ladly in Paris. A version of this article appears in print on May 7, 2012, on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Socialist Wins French Election Against Sarkozy. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe Francois Hollande | president of France | Britannica.com president of France Alternative Title: François Gérard Georges Hollande Francois Hollande François Hollande, in full François Gérard Georges Hollande (born August 12, 1954, Rouen , France), French politician who was president of France (2012– ). He earlier served as first secretary of the Socialist Party (1997–2008). François Hollande, 2012.

© Matthieu Riegler The son of a physician in France’s northwestern Haute-Normandie région, Hollande was educated at the elite École Nationale d’Administration, where his classmates included future prime minister Dominique de Villepin and future Socialist presidential candidate Ségolène Royal , who would also become Hollande’s longtime companion. In 1979, while still a student, Hollande joined the Socialist Party, and he worked as an economic adviser in the administration of Pres. Francois Mitterrand . He graduated from the école in 1980. The following year Hollande unsuccessfully challenged Jacques Chirac for the parliamentary seat representing Corrèze département but was appointed special assistant on economic affairs in the Mitterrand administration. Hollande next served as chief of staff for two successive government spokespersons for Prime Minister Pierre Mauroy . In 1988 Hollande was elected to represent Corrèze in the National Assembly . He lost the seat in 1993 but won it back in 1997.

That same year he succeeded Lionel Jospin as leader of the Socialist Party, after Jospin was appointed prime minister in a cohabitation government in which the conservative Chirac served as president. In addition to his party chairmanship and his seat in the National Assembly, Hollande held a number of local and provincial posts during this time, most notably serving as mayor of Tulle (2001–08). As party leader, Hollande was sometimes overshadowed by fellow Socialists who were perhaps more outwardly telegenic, such as Royal or the economist Dominique Strauss-Kahn . In time Hollande came to embrace this status, and he willingly accepted the nickname “Monsieur Normal” that was bestowed upon him by the press. After Socialist candidates lost two successive presidential elections—Jospin was trounced in the 2002 election’s first round of voting, and Royal lost to Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007—Hollande resigned as party leader in 2008. François Hollande, 2012. © cskphotography/Shutterstock.com One month after the 2007 election, Royal publicly disclosed that she and Hollande had separated.

The news added a sharper flavour to Royal’s subsequent efforts to succeed Hollande as party leader, but she was defeated by Lille Mayor Martine Aubry . The arrest of Strauss-Kahn in May 2011 on charges of sexual assault, however, caused even more tension throughout the party’s ranks. Although the charges were eventually dropped, Strauss-Kahn, the presumptive Socialist nominee in the 2012 presidential election, resigned as director of the International Monetary Fund and was abruptly removed as a viable Socialist candidate. With his foremost rivals sidelined, Hollande steadily made a case for himself as the Socialist nominee, presenting a moderate platform that drew an unexpected endorsement from former president Chirac. In October 2011, in France’s first ever open primary elections, Hollande secured the Socialist Party nomination over Aubry. On April 22, 2012, Hollande topped the field in the first round of the presidential election, setting up a runoff against the incumbent Sarkozy on May 6. In that event, Hollande secured a close but convincing victory, capturing almost 52 percent of the vote, and he was inaugurated as president of France on May 15.

Britannica Stories 2017 Rock Hall Inductees Announced Within hours of his inauguration, Hollande flew to Berlin , where he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel . Since the beginning of the euro-zone debt crisis , Merkel and Sarkozy had promoted austerity as the cure for Europe’s ills, but Hollande favoured an approach that emphasized growth. Merkel, who had been vocal in her support of Sarkozy during the presidential campaign, nonetheless found common ground with Hollande, and the two spent much of the remaining year promoting the EU’s new fiscal compact. By year’s end Hollande had proposed an increase in the value-added tax, cuts in state spending, and a new corporate tax credit. In December 2012 his legislation to boost the top individual tax rate (to 75%) was ruled unconstitutional, although he reintroduced the measure the following year, shifting the burden of the tax from individuals to employers. His popularity slumped, however, as France’s economy remained stagnant despite signs that it had officially emerged from recession. Exploring Italy and France: Fact or Fiction? Hollande was a vocal critic of Syrian Pres.

Bashar al-Assad and, after the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Civil War , called for foreign military intervention in that conflict. A joint effort by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov resulted in an agreement whereby Syria would surrender its chemical weapons arsenal, but Hollande remained a strong proponent of French military action abroad. In January 2013 he dispatched French troops to combat Islamist militants in Mali , and in December a French-sponsored UN Security Council resolution authorized armed intervention in the Central African Republic . Some 1,600 French troops supplemented an existing African Union force in the Central African Republic, but that application of what was increasingly known as the “Hollande doctrine” was met with indifference by the French electorate in spite of widespread support for previous military engagements in Africa. François Hollande and Malian interim president Dioncounda Traoré (left, with scarf) … Benoit Tessier—Reuters/Landov Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Hollande’s approval numbers experienced a modest boost in January 2014 when a celebrity tabloid magazine alleged that he was having an affair with a French actress.

The French public, famously protective of the privacy of its elected leaders, rallied around Hollande, with an overwhelming majority of voters stating that they considered the affair to be a personal matter. He received no such support in local elections in March 2014, however, when candidates from the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire; UMP) and Marine Le Pen ’s National Front swept the Socialists from office in scores of mayoral races. Hollande responded by reshuffling his cabinet, replacing Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault with interior minister Manuel Valls. French voters continued to express their dissatisfaction with Hollande in May 2014, when the Socialists finished a distant third behind the National Front and the UMP in European Union parliamentary elections. Valls characterized the result as an “earthquake,” an expression of staunch Euroskepticism in a country that had traditionally been a stalwart supporter of European integration . After a deadly attack on the satiric magazine Charlie Hebdo in January 2015, the country rallied around Hollande. His approval numbers soon plummeted again, however, and the Socialists were crushed in local elections that March.

Although Hollande was praised for his role in brokering a bailout agreement between EU leaders and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras , his domestic agenda met resistance from his own party. Attempts to jump-start the moribund economy were welcomed by the business sector, but Valls was twice forced to invoke a little-used procedure to bypass opposition and enact economic reforms without a parliamentary vote. World leaders marching in tribute to those killed in the Charlie … © Frederic Legrand/COMEO—Shutterstock Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest In November at least 129 people were killed and hundreds were wounded in coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris . The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL; also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attacks, and Hollande declared a state of emergency and stated that France was “at war” with the group. An international manhunt targeted those who were suspected of involvement with the plot, and French warplanes struck targets in the ISIL stronghold of Al-Raqqah. Hollande also proposed expanded security measures and greater cooperation with the U.S. and Russian forces already conducting military campaigns against ISIL.

Investigators examining the bodies of victims of a terrorist attack on a Paris restaurant, November … Thibault Camus/AP Images Francois Hollande: An Introduction to the New French President | TIME.com Follow @TIMEWorld Most of the world now knows François Hollande as the man who won France ’s May 6 presidential election, and in so doing made incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy the nation’s first single-term head of state in 31 years. Many people have also heard Hollande described as the “ anti-Sarkozy ”: a self-styled Monsieur Normal who prefers low-volume discussion, consensus and unassuming behavior to the driving, head-knocking, cleaving ways of Sarkozy’s “bling-bling” presidency . But few people outside France actually know who François Hollande is. Where does the president-elect come from? And how is he likely to act in office? Here’s my modest attempt at a primer: It’s little wonder Hollande arrives on the international scene an enigma: his presidential victory aside, the 57-year-old doesn’t wield a political resumé studded with headline-grabbing accomplishments. Hollande has no previous experience in a national government position.

His 1997-2008 stint as head of France’s Socialist Party (PS) represents his highest-profile role. Beyond that, Hollande’s public service bone fides reside in his work as a junior adviser to the late Socialist President François Mitterrand in the 1980s and his elections to parliament and regional office in the Corrèze area of southwestern France—a political stronghold he shared with former center-right President Jacques Chirac. (MORE: After Winning the French Presidency, What Will François Hollande Do Next? ) Like Chirac before him, Hollande eventually managed to extend enough of his enormous local popularity across the nation to capture the Elysée—even as his opponents cautioned voters that public appeal alone is not sufficient to qualify as head of state. “He doesn’t have the stature to be president,” warned former First Lady Bernadette Chirac in March as she backed Sarkozy’s re-election bid. “Being president requires a lot of experience—long political training.

You need to have been a minister, you need to have many international contacts.” Bad luck for Madame Chirac that her husband—the ex-president—backed his former political foe, Hollande, over the largely unproductive and embattled leadership of his fellow conservative, Sarkozy. “Sarkozy had lots of ministerial experience and was still a bad president, and he had more stature than voters could stand,” retorts Bernard Poignant, the Socialist mayor of the Breton city of Quimper and a close Hollande friend. “François dislikes brutality, avoids imposing his will on people, and much prefers motivating people into doing what he wants them to do. He usually gets what he wants—which we’ve now once again seen.” French political analyst Alain Duhamel notes that even though Sarkozy’s flash brashness and razor-tongued treatment of opponents was ultimately judged by voters as too vulgar for the presidency, Hollande’s naturally unpretentious style has long handicapped his ambitions for high political office.

(MORE: The Anti-Sarkozy: How French Presidential Candidate Francois Hollande Would Lead) “Hollande’s strength is his truly impressive intelligence, but that’s an asset the public never saw because Hollande has never been prone to marketing his intelligence or himself as most politicians do,” says Duhamel. “But he’s very obstinate, never changes or loses sight of objectives he sets, and will plan and wait for the opportunity to take his best shot. We’ve seen that demonstrated again with a presidential victory most people never saw coming.” In fairness, few people could have predicted Hollande’s rise to the Elysée. His biography reads more like one of a technocrat who meanders into politics—and ends up atop the summit of power. Born in 1954 in the Norman city of Rouen to an extreme-right physician father and progressive social worker mother, Hollande moved to Paris with his family in the politically tumultuous year of 1968. Too young at 13 to get caught up in the student revolt in May of that year, Hollande embarked upon the classic educational journey of France’s administrative elite.

After sailing through the nation’s exacting lycée public system, he studied at Paris’ elite Institut de Sciences Politiques and France’s leading business school, l’Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales. Hollande then entered l’ Ecole Nationale d’Administration , the finishing school for France’s political, business and bureaucratic establishment. It was there that he met the future mother of his four children, Ségolène Royal, with whom he shared a 30-year relationship. (That ended shortly after Royal’s 2007 presidential election loss to Sarkozy. Hollande is now partnered with French TV journalist Valerie Trierweiler.) Prior to doing political work under Socialist officials like Mitterrand—and eventually running for office himself—Hollande served in French state administrations as a high-ranking civil servant. (MORE: French Toast: How Sarkozy Found Himself on the Verge of Presidential Defeat) Hollande’s work with Mitterrand in conceiving the euro and the rules governing it undermine claims from detractors that he’s ready to kill the currency by throwing off austerity and increasing France’s huge public debt.

His claim to the Mitterrand heritage aside, Hollande is far closer to Jacques Delors, the former European Commission president still revered for his integrationist accomplishments. And despite German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hot opposition to Hollande’s pledge to renegotiate Europe’s austerity-focused fiscal pact to add growth stimulus aspects, some predict Merkel will ultimately find she has more in common with the new French president than with Sarkozy. “Hollande looks and acts like a softie people think they can influence and push around, while he’s actually working them into accepting a compromise on things they initially rejected outright,” says Poignant. “Their politics notwithstanding, François and Madame Merkel are actually quite alike—including how they use rivals under-estimating them to their advantage.” Duhamel agrees. “There will be no Franco-German crisis because the growth positions of the ascendant Hollande are now the European consensus,” he predicts. “And Madame Merkel will ultimately accept a growth stimulus treaty established parallel to her fiscal pact so Europe can move ahead and she can worry about elections of her own. They’ll get on fine.” The question then becomes whether that will succeed in spurring economic growth in France and elsewhere in the euro zone and allow states to gradually reduce debt levels.

Because if French voters elected Hollande in part due to a rejection of Sarkozy’s style, their main motive in opting for new leadership was to punish the departing president’s failure to improve the country’s economic and employment outlook. And the clock has begun ticking on those counts even before Hollande has been sworn in. France election results 2012 listed: how did the French vote and where? | News | theguardian.com France election results 2012 listed: how did the French vote and where? Full breakdown of the round two Presidential votes by départements across France • More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian French election results, 2012: Election posters for François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy as voters make their final choice. Photograph: Jim Hollander/EPA France's election results for 2012 are in - and amazingly quickly, compared to London's much-smaller mayoral vote last week. So, how did France vote in round two of the presidential election?

The results show, writes Angelique Chrisafis François Hollande has won the presidency of France, turning the tide on a rightward and xenophobic lurch in European politics and vowing to transform Europe 's handling of the economic crisis by fighting back against German-led austerity measures. We collected the results from the French Ministry of the Interior here, but there was also some brilliant work going on from groups like Regards Citoyens, which was running an open data hack on the election . They also produced this graphic, which showed the votes coming in over the day. Image of votes by commune from Regards Citoyens The turnout was startlingly high, especially compared to the low numbers seen in the UK local elections last week. The median turnout was 82.3%,, and that umber would be higher, but for the lower figures in France's overseas territories. Saint-Martin/Saint-Barthelemy, for instance, saw the lowest figure of any departments - only 43.68%. By contrast, the highest figure was in the Lot, where it was 86.62%. France interactive results map.

Click image to explore it The highest votes for Hollande, besides the overseas territories, were in regions like Correze, Ariege and Haute Vienne, in the south west of France - and Paris, of course, which has been overwhelmingly Hollande in both rounds. Sarkozy's strongholds, were instead in the south and east of the country, places along the Rhine and on the Alps - there he consistently won over 60% of the vote. Of the 43 départements where over 20% had voted for Marine Le Pen in round one, 26, perhaps unsurprisingly, went for Sarkozy. But the other 17 voted for Hollande and his 'change' theme. In Gard, which was the only place to give Marine Le Pen a majority in round one, Sarkozy won the popular vote this time, but it was tight: 51.2% to 48.8%. We also looked at swing to each candidate, comparing their vote to the poll in round one. Obviously, with only two candidates in this round, the numbers are all big - but we thought it might be interesting to see where the biggest swings happened.

Sarkozy's biggest change was in Vaucluse, where his vote increased by 96.6%. However, Hollande saw his vote increase by over 90% in eight départements. The full data is below. What can you do with it? Data summary François Hollande, President of the French Republic - La France en Inde / France in India François Hollande, President of the French Republic - Investiture ceremony – Speech by François Hollande, President of the Republic Paris, 15 May 2012 On this day of my investiture into the highest office of the state, I send the French people a message of confidence. We are a great country which, through its history, has always been able to brave the ordeals and take up the challenges facing it. Every time, it succeeded in doing so by remaining what it is. Always through high-mindedness and openness. Never through self-abasement or by self-absorption. The mandate I received from the French people on 6 May is to put France back on her feet, in a fair way. Open up a new way in Europe. Contribute to world peace and the protection of the planet.

I appreciate the fact that we are under great pressure : massive debt, weak growth, high unemployment, damaged competitiveness and a Europe struggling to overcome the crisis. But I say this right here : there’s no inevitability, if a common desire motivates us, a clear direction is set and we fully mobilize our strengths and assets. These are significant : the productiveness of our workforce, the excellence of our researchers, the dynamism of our entrepreneurs, the work of our farmers, the quality of our public services, the global influence of our culture and language, without forgetting our demographic vitality and the eagerness of our young people. The first condition for new-found confidence is the nation’s unity. Our differences mustn’t become divisions, or our diversity discord. The country needs calm, reconciliation and to come together. It’s the President of the Republic’s role to help bring this about. To enable all French people, without exception, to live by the same values, those of the Republic. This is my pressing duty. Whatever our age, whatever our firm beliefs, wherever we live – in mainland France or in overseas France, in our towns and cities or in our rural areas, we are France.

Not one France set against another, but a reunited France with the same community of destiny. And I’ll reaffirm on every occasion our inviolable principles of laïcité [secularism] (1), just as I will fight racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination. Confidence is also about setting the example. As President of the Republic, I shall fully shoulder the exceptional responsibilities of this high office. I shall set the priorities, but I shall not decide everything or on behalf of everyone. In accordance with the constitution, the government will determine and conduct the nation’s policy. The rights of parliament will be respected. The judiciary will have every guarantee of independence. State power will be exercised with dignity but simplicity. With great ambition for the country. And scrupulous sobriety of conduct. The state will be impartial, because it is the property of all French people and does not belong to those who have been given responsibility for it. The rules on the appointment of public officials will be strict. And loyalty, competence and a sense of the general interest will be the sole criteria in determining my choice of the state’s most senior servants. France has the good fortune to have an excellent civil service.

I want to express to it my gratitude and my expectations of it and each of its members. Confidence lies in democracy itself. I believe in local democracy and intend to revitalize it through a new act of decentralization that gives new freedom to develop our territories. I believe in social democracy, and new areas of negotiation will be opened up to the two sides of industry, whom I shall respect – both the employees’ representatives and professional organizations. I believe in citizens’ democracy, that of voluntary organizations and civic engagement, which will be supported for the millions of volunteers who dedicate themselves to it. Confidence depends on the justice of decisions. Justice in the very concept of wealth creation. It’s time to put production back above speculation, future investment above present satisfaction, sustainable employment above immediate profit. It’s time to embark on a transition on energy and the environment. It’s time to push back a new frontier for technological development and innovation. But justice, too, in the way the essential effort is distributed. There cannot be sacrifices for ever more people and privileges for ever fewer. This will be the thrust of the reforms the government will carry out, with a concern to reward merit, work and initiative and to discourage exorbitant income and remuneration.

Justice will be the criterion on which each public decision will be taken. Finally, the Republic must have confidence in young people. I shall put them back in their rightful place : first place. That’s the basis of my commitment to the Republic’s schools, because their mission is vital to our country’s cohesion and the success of our economy. That’s the desire that drives me to modernize professional training, support young people into work and fight job insecurity. That’s also the admirable idea of civic service that I intend to revive. Ladies and gentlemen, Today many peoples – above all in Europe – are watching us expectantly. To overcome the crisis that is hitting it, Europe needs projects. It needs solidarity. It needs growth. I shall propose to our partners a new pact combining the necessary reduction in public debt with the essential stimulation of the economy. And I shall express to them the need for our continent to protect, in such an unstable world, not only its values but also its interests, in the name of the reciprocity principle in trade. France is a nation engaged in the world. Through her history, her culture, her values of humanism, universality and freedom, she holds a unique place in it.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen has reached every corner of the globe. We must be its guardians and stand alongside all those democratic forces in the world that swear by its principles. France will respect all peoples ; she will be true everywhere to her destiny, which is to uphold the freedom of peoples, the honour of the oppressed, the dignity of women. At this moment, when I bear responsibility for our country’s destiny and for representing it in the world, I pay tribute to my predecessors – all those before me who have held the responsibility of leading the Republic : Charles de Gaulle, who put his prestige at the service of France’s greatness and sovereignty, Georges Pompidou, who made the industrial imperative a national challenge, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, who relaunched society’s modernization, François Mitterrand, who did so much for freedoms and social progress, Jacques Chirac, who marked his commitment to the values of the Republic, and Nicolas Sarkozy, to whom I extend my best wishes for the new life that opens up before him. Long live the Republic. (1) "Laïcité" goes beyond the concept of secularism, embracing the strict neutrality of the state.

- Interview given by François Hollande, President-elect of the Republic, to Slate website¹ Paris, 7 May 2012 European growth/Franco-German partnership/relations with UK Q. – How do you assess your proposal to create a European growth pact, which you have defended throughout your campaign ? THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – The French presidential campaign has put the demand for growth back on the agenda. The word is included in the Fiscal Compact treaty, but without content or concrete application. Yet it will be difficult if not impossible to reduce deficits and keep debt in check without additional economic activity. Pre-eminent figures such as European Central Bank Chairman Mario Draghi have spoken in favour of this growth pact, but so have other heads of governments. In Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Italy, everyone agrees that austerity alone will not bring back balanced budgets. For this reason alone I believe the French election campaign has been invaluable, and this is why it has been watched from well beyond our borders. Q. – Angela Merkel didn’t receive you during the campaign, but the head of the Social Democratic Party, Sigmar Gabriel, did support you. Does the prospect of your first meeting with the German Chancellor make you nervous ?

THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – Not in the least. Whatever happened during the French presidential campaign will leave no hard feelings. I perfectly understand why Angela Merkel supported Nicolas Sarkozy because of the action they have taken together, even though I have questioned its results, and because of their shared political sensibility. Q. – The “Merkozy” couple has been criticized in Europe. What is your position on the Franco-German partnership ? THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – As much as I believe in the Franco-German partnership, I question the idea of a duopoly. European construction is based on a well-balanced and respectful partnership between France and Germany. The partnerships between Schmidt and Giscard, Kohl and Mitterrand, and even between Chirac and Schroeder, have proved that political differences do not mean that we cannot work together. But these heads of state combined an intergovernmental approach with European Union processes. This was the best way to avoid our partners feeling left out, or even worse, subordinate. That balance has changed over the past few years. The Franco-German relationship has been exclusive. European institutions have been neglected and some countries, notably the more fragile ones, have had the unpleasant feeling of facing an executive board. Q.

– British Prime Minister David Cameron did not receive you either, and the British media and financial sector have been hard on you. How do you intend to reinforce the Franco-British relationship ? THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – One must admit that the British have been particularly shy on the issue of financial regulation, and have only paid attention to the interests of the City of London, hence their reluctance to implement a tax on financial transactions and tax harmonization in Europe. Furthermore, since the central bank can directly intervene in debt financing, the UK is better protected from speculation, and is thus relatively indifferent to the fate of the eurozone. I will soon meet David Cameron to discuss the benefits of a closer industrial cooperation between our two countries and to continue the ongoing rapprochement in terms of defence. Foreign policy/US/Iran/NATO/Islamism Q. – Your predecessor demonstrated his role as a European leader on issues such as the fighting in Georgia, the revolution in Libya, and during the financial crisis. Is that also your ambition ? THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – France isn’t just any country in Europe, and its president is not an ordinary leader in the world.

Sometimes directing or leading the way is not enough : he has to initiate policies, as Nicolas Sarkozy was able to demonstrate during his term. Sometimes that was fortunate, as with the UN action in Libya. Sometimes it wasn’t : I’m thinking of the Union for the Mediterranean, which due to a lack of preparation led to failure. Yes, I do intend to give France its place in the affirmation of an international ambition. What was missing in dealing with the financial crisis was consistency and perseverance, particularly the control of the financial world, the fight against tax havens, and the European Union financial transaction tax. In the same manner, European countries weren’t able to join forces in order to reduce the trade imbalance with China. We had to wait for Obama to state the conditions of trade reciprocity for the word to even be pronounced again. And let’s not forget that the convertibility of the Chinese currency should have been discussed at the G20. I think the reform of the international monetary system must be a priority in our agenda. Q. – Speaking of Barack Obama, you’re to meet him for the first time at the Camp David G8 Summit on 18 and 19 May. (In English) Mr Hollande, do you speak English ?

THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – (In English) Yes, I speak English. But a French president has to speak French ! Q. – Do you think it’s important for the French Head of State to speak the common language of international diplomacy ? THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – He needs to understand it and to be able to have unmediated exchanges with his interlocutors. But I am attached to the French language and to the French-speaking world. When I took part in European leaders summits, it was sometimes unpleasant for me to hear Romanian, Polish, Portuguese, and Italian friends speak English (rather than their own language), although I admit that on an informal basis, first contacts can be made in this language. Nevertheless, I will defend everywhere the use of the French language. Q. – The United States might look at a change of president in France, especially to a socialist one, with suspicion at first. How do you intend to make yourself known and acknowledged in the United States ? THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – I perfectly understood President Obama’s attitude throughout the French presidential campaign. He had no reason to distance himself from Nicolas Sarkozy. It’s the basic solidarity that leaders who worked together owe to each other.

Barack Obama himself is running for re-election this year, and this vote will have a huge importance in the world. The Democratic administration’s choices in terms of foreign policy showed serious and beneficial changes compared with the preceding one. In the same way, we have similarities on the economic level. So, I intend to assert France’s independence without making Barack Obama’s task any more difficult. For example, I will maintain the position I had during my campaign of a pullout of French troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012, in agreement with our allies. Q. – What’s your position on the Iranian nuclear programme crisis ? THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – I haven’t criticized Nicolas Sarkozy’s firm stance on the risks of a nuclear proliferation. I will maintain it with the same strength and the same will. And I will not accept it if Iran, which is perfectly entitled to civil nuclear power, uses this technology for military purposes. Q. – On this particular topic, the Obama administration seems more flexible, more ready to negotiate, than the French government. THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – Iran must bring forward all the information that was asked for and stop pretending. Sanctions must be reinforced as much as necessary.

But I still believe that negotiation is possible to reach the intended goal. Q. – Wasn’t your position about the French presence in NATO rather vague throughout your campaign ? THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – I regretted this decision as it was taken in 2008. The goals that were stated, and more particularly the reinforcement of the European defence mainstay, were not reached. But I don’t intend to go back to the previous situation. I will ask for an evaluation of France’s role and responsibilities in the military command. Q. – On Africa and the Middle East, do you share (outgoing Foreign Minister) Alain Juppé’s position of extreme firmness regarding Islamists ? He considers that negotiation is possible as long as certain boundaries are not crossed, such as the respect of fundamental human rights, of the free choice of voters, and the acceptance that different parties can succeed one another as the head of state. THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – France mustn’t change its principles depending on the circumstances or the situations. The principles we valued during the Arab Spring, when regimes prevented the advent of democracy, must be discussed with the new governments that were elected in those same countries, in Tunisia and Egypt for example.

We must remind them as often as need be of the importance of the good functioning of democracy, of gender equality, and of the place that society and the state respectively hold. Knowing if Islamic parties can enter a long-term democratic process is what is at stake here, which is why the success of this transition is very important. The Tunisians demonstrated it, even if we can see that threats are looming large. Q. – Do you think the arrival to power of Islamists in numerous countries in northern Africa could reinforce the French fears and fantasies about Islam that were very present during the presidential campaign ? THE PRESIDENT-ELECT – I found the confusions and generalizations that occurred throughout the campaign very upsetting. Foreigners can be of African or North African descent without being Muslim. And they can be Muslims without being “communautarists” (a French term that means identifying so strongly with one group that one separates from the nation as a whole). I want the French people to respect values that allow each individual to practice his or her faith, but in the frame of our common rules of secularism./. ¹Source of English text : Slate.com website.

Dernière modification le 24/05/2012 Francois Hollande Biography (President of France) Birthplace: Rouen, France Best known as: The President of France, 2012 - Francois Hollande is the longtime Socialist party leader who was elected President of France in 2012. He succeeded Nicolas Sarkozy and will serve a 5-year term through 2017. Hollande has been involved in Socialist politics in France since joining the party in 1979. He graduated from the elite Ecole Nationale d'Administration (1980) and also attended the Paris Institute of Political Studies (commonly known as Sciences Po). Hollande became a member of parliament in the French national assembly in 1988, representing the Correze region of southern France. In 1997 he succeeded Lionel Jospin in the party's First Secretary. At the time, many saw Hollande as a bland functionary and compromiser; indeed, his own nickname for himself is "Mr.

Normal." He ran for the Socialist party nomination for president in 2007, but in an odd twist lost to Segolene Royal, his longtime companion and mother to his four children. She lost the general election to Sarkozy, and shortly after that his affair with Paris Match writer Valerie Trierweiler became public, and he split with Royal. Hollande stepped down as the Socialist party's executive secretary in 2008, and his career seemed on the wane. However, in 2011 the New York hotel scandal of Socialist leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn turned the slightly duller Hollande into a more attractive presidential candidate. He ran on a platform of increased taxes on the rich (with a top rate of 75% on earnings over one million euros) and a promise to add thousands of new teachers. When he beat Sarkozy in the final presidential elections on 6 May 2012, the CBC called him "the amiable political tortoise who overtook the hyperactive hare." Early in 2014, Hollande's administration was shaken when the French magazine Closer claimed that he was having an affair with actress Julie Gayet.

Hollande deplored the invasion of his privacy but did not deny the report. Trierweiler was hospitalized briefly after the report broke, and a week later Hollande told the French news agency AFP that he and Trierweiler had split up. Extra credit: In addition to his other roles, Francois Hollande was mayor of the city of Tulle from 2001-08… He represented Correze from 1988-93, and again from 1997 until his election in 2012… Francois Hollande has four children with Segolene Royal: Thomas (born 1984), Clémence (b. 1985), Julien (b. 1987) and Flora (b. 1992). Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved. Socialist Hollande in, Sarkozy out, as France elects a new president - CNN.com Socialist Hollande in, Sarkozy out, as France elects a new president By the CNN Wire Staff Updated 9:56 PM ET, Sun May 6, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger.

Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande won France's presidential runoff election on Sunday, May 6. In his victory speech, he promised to be a president for all of France. Hide Caption 1 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – A vandalized campaign poster in Paris reads, "You've lost!" Defeating incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy, Hollande will be the nation's first left-wing president since 1995. Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – A boy wearing a mask resembling Francois Hollande gestures before the politician's speech Sunday. Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – Hollande supporters celebrate his win Sunday at Place de la Bastille in Paris. Hide Caption 4 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – Nicolas Sarkozy addresses his supporters and concedes defeat Sunday. During the election season, he was fighting to keep his job amid a wave of discontent.

Hide Caption 5 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – Sarkozy supporters react as results from exit polls and official tallies in the runoff election come in. Hide Caption 6 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – A woman picks up ballots before voting at a polling station in Marseille, France, on Sunday. Hide Caption 7 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – People on the French island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean line up at a polling station in Saint-Denis. Voter turnout was reported at 73%. Hide Caption 8 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – In South America, a scrutineer unfolds a ballot for "Jesus Christ" as he counts votes in French Guiana's Remire-Montjoly. Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – A child looks under the curtain of a voting booth in Henin-Beaumont, France, near the border with Belgium.

Hide Caption 10 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – Francois Hollande squeezes past members of the public to get into a car Sunday during a visit to Vigeois, in central France. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – A man walks past a local office of the Socialist Party in Paris on Saturday, the day before the presidential runoff. Hide Caption 12 of 13 Photos: Photos: French presidential runoff French presidential runoff – Sarkozy leaves the stage after his concession speech on Sunday. He was elected president of France in 2007. Hide Caption President-elect Francois Hollande addresses a large crowd of supporters in Paris With nearly all of the ballots counted, he leads with 51.6% of the vote Hollande declares his victory "a new start for Europe" President Nicolas Sarkozy concedes, saying he carries the responsibility for the defeat Francois Hollande defeated French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a presidential runoff Sunday, signaling a shift to the left as the country and Europe fight to dig out of a weak economy.

In a victory speech to supporters in Tulle, Hollande declared his win "a great date for our country, and a new start for Europe." The Socialist challenger promised to govern for all of France. "Many people have been waiting for this moment for many long years. Others, younger, have never known such a time. ... I am proud to be capable to bring about hope again," he told the cheering crowd. "Tonight, there are not two Frances. ... There is only one France, only one nation that is united with the same destiny," Hollande said. The president-elect, who will be the nation's first left-wing president since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995, suggested there was a sense of relief in many European countries because of his win. "Austerity can no longer be something that is inevitable," he said. Later, Hollande went to Paris, where he addressed a large crowd at the Bastille. Supporters waved flags and shouted his name. "I know what many people feel -- years and years of wounds, of ruptures, and we have to repair, recover, unite. That is what we're going to do together," he vowed.

Hollande congratulated Sarkozy, who earlier conceded to Hollande as results from exit polls and official tallies in the runoff election came in. "I carry the entire responsibility for this defeat, and I'm going to say why. I fought for the values of responsibility, and I'm not a man who does not accept his responsibilities," Sarkozy said from his Paris campaign headquarters, as members of the crowd shouted, "No!" JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Why some feel discrimination in France 02:56 "I'm ready to become a French person amongst French people, and more than ever I have the love for my country deeply ingrained in my heart," Sarkozy said. With almost all of the votes counted, Hollande was leading with 51.6% to Sarkozy's 48.4%, the nation's Interior Ministry said. Voter turnout was reported at more than 80%. Exit polls said Hollande won 51.9% of the vote, France 2 television reported. Crowds roared at the center-left candidate's campaign headquarters as the exit poll results came out Sunday evening. Celebratory car horns blared along the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

"It's a great night, full of joy for so many young people all across the country," said Thierry Marchal-Beck, president of the Movement of Young Socialists. U.S. President Barack Obama called Hollande shortly after results were in to congratulate the newly elected president and invite him to the White House. Sarkozy had fought to keep his job amid a wave of discontent over his inability to rein in unemployment. He defended his economic record despite low growth and unemployment at about 10%, saying the impact of Europe's debt crisis could have been far worse. France is a key player in plans to lead the eurozone out of its debt crisis, making the election vital to the region. Sarkozy's defeat marks the latest -- and most significant -- of at least half a dozen European leaders swept from office during the eurozone economic crisis, including the Greek and Italian prime ministers. France's vote came the same day as the Greek parliamentary election. Exit polls in that country indicated Greece's ruling coalition appeared headed for steep losses, while parties on the far left and far right were poised to make significant gains amid anger over austerity measures. Hollande and Sarkozy traded insults last week in the only televised head-to-head debate of the campaign.

Sarkozy labeled Hollande a liar and a "little slanderer," while Hollande accused the president of shirking his responsibilities, cronyism and favoring the privileged over France's poor. Both candidates reached out to France's undecided voters since the first-round vote on April 22 left them the only two standing. Centrist Francois Bayrou, who took 9% of the first round vote, delivered a boost to Hollande's campaign Thursday when he said he would vote for the Socialist and urged his supporters to vote according to their conscience. Sarkozy has been president since 2007.

Question: Who did Francois Hollande succeed as French President in 2012?
Answer: Nicolas Sarkozy