#RSS Feed for France articles - Telegraph.co.uk DCSIMG Accessibility links * Skip to article * Skip to navigation [telegraph_print_190.gif] Advertisement Saturday 04 February 2012 | Subscribe Telegraph.co.uk ___________________ Submit * Home * News * Sport * Finance * Comment * Blogs * Culture * Travel * Lifestyle * Fashion * Tech * Dating * Offers * Jobs * UK * World * Politics * Obituaries * Education * Earth * Science * Defence * Health News * Royal Family * Celebrities * Weird News * USA * US Election 2012 * Asia * China * Central Asia * Europe * Australasia * Middle East * Africa * South America 1. Home» 2. News» 3. World News» 4. Europe» 5. France François Hollande wins French Socialist presidential election A mild-mannered French Socialist they call "Mr Normal" has been chosen to take on Nicolas Sarkozy in next year's presidential elections. Francois Hollande Image 1 of 2 Francois Hollande poses with Martine Aubry Photo: AFP/GETTY Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande Image 1 of 2 Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande Henry Samuel By Henry Samuel, Paris 8:12PM BST 16 Oct 2011 Comments Comments In the final round of Socialist primaries – the first of their kind in French political history – early results put François Hollande, 57, well ahead of his party rival, Martine Aubry, 60, who conceded defeat. In a triumphant address at party headquarters in Paris, Mr Hollande said the “large majority” he won had given him the “strength and legitimacy” to take on Mr Sarkozy – a president the French could “no longer bear”. Pitting himself against what the Left see as Mr Sarkozy’s abrasive and divisive style, he said he would be the “candidate of respect, dialogue, democracy; the candidate of another (type of) presidency”. Predicting a “bitter” battle ahead, he said: “The Right has nothing to lose except what it still has and holds dearest, namely power.” “I want to re-enchant the French dream,” he said, promising to make schools and youth his “great priority” so that they “lead a better life than us”. Related Articles * French Socialists: Freudian tussle at heart of Hollande vs Aubry clash 16 Oct 2011 * Francois Hollande set to take on Nicolas Sarkozy in French election 15 Oct 2011 * François Hollande favourite to win Socialist nomination, but French hate being told what to think 15 Oct 2011 * François Hollande receives backing of 'Socialist kingmaker' Arnaud Montebourg 14 Oct 2011 He also promised to better regulate financial markets, fight unemployment and reduce the cost of health care and accommodation. Conceding defeat, Miss Aubry said she “warmly congratulated” her opponent and that “personal disappointment” was less important than the “collective fight” ahead. In a show of unity, all primary candidates stood together on the steps of the Socialist headquarters before chanting supporters. With 1.9 million votes counted after Sunday's voting, the Socialist Party said 56.4 percent of the ballots were for Mr Hollande and 43.6 percent for Miss Aubry. With his unassuming air of a provincial salesman – Mr Hollande, a consensual, moderate who has never held a ministerial post – had been favourite throughout. But Miss Aubry, architect of the 35-hour week and seen as more of an old-school Socialist, had staged a convincing last-minute fight back after a series of TV debates, pillorying Mr Hollande for representing the "soft Left" – one incapable of beating the "hard Right". The contest was mainly on personality, as both backed the main tenets of a Socialist Party manifesto, which promises to scrap 50 billion euros of tax breaks, instead funnelling half of this money to fund state jobs and promote growth, with the rest to cut the deficit. Victory instantly places Mr Hollande as front-runner in presidential elections next April and May, as polls place him well ahead of Mr Sarkozy in the two-round race. Sunday's high turnout means the vote could serve as a powerful springboard for the Socialists, who have failed to clinch the French presidency since François Mitterrand was elected in 1988. The left's firm favourite to become president had been former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn but his presidential hopes were dashed when he was arrested in New York in May on charges – later dropped – of sexually assaulting a hotel maid. Mr Hollande, who has promised to focus on youth employment, banking reform and education without further bloating France's public debt, had the support of all four of the runners up in the primary first round vote. These included Ségolène Royal, his former companion and mother of his four children, who lost to Mr Sarkozy in 2007. She crashed out in tears after gaining just seven per cent in round one. But his most influential supporter was the protectionist "de-globalisation" campaigner Arnaud Montebourg, who came third in round one with 17 per cent. Open to anyone ready to pay a euro and claim Left-wing sympathies, the primaries received widespread public support; some 79 per cent of French welcomed them, according to one poll out yesterday. But their surprise success has caused ructions in the Right: Prime Minister François Fillon praised the primaries as a "modern process suited to both Right and Left" but Mr Sarkozy branded it unconstitutional, saying: "Charles de Gaulle wanted a presidential election of two rounds, not four." Many from the ruling UMP party would like to see the Right adopt primaries, but party leader, Jean-François Copé yesterday said that Mr Sarkozy was their "natural candidate" for 2012. Annoyed at the Socialists hogging the limelight, Mr Sarkozy intends to set the stage for his re-election campaign with a prime time TV interview on October 24 on the euro debt crisis, following a key European summit in Brussels next Sunday. His prime minister will begin the charge tonight on French TV news. "The Socialists have eaten their white bread," said Alain Juppé, the foreign minister. "Now we are going to help them get indigestion with black bread." X Share & bookmark Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! 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