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Francois Hollande celebrates victory at French Presidential elections
Socialist Francois Hollande defeated incumbent president and UMP candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, with a projected 52 percent of the vote in the second and final round of the French Presidential elections
The moderate Socialist beat conservative Nicolas Sarkozy with 51.7 percent of Sunday’s runoff vote after a bruising campaign dominated by the same anger over economic crisis that has felled 10 other European leaders since late 2009.
While jubilant left-wing voters partied into the early hours of Monday in central Paris, Hollande admitted that for him, the festivities would have to be short-lived.
The French woke up to Hollande, arms outstretched, beaming on the front pages of morning newspapers. Left-leaning daily Liberation ran the headline “Normal!” a reference to the new president’s image as a man of the people.
“There is a lot of joy and pride but also apprehension at taking on this responsibility at a difficult time for the country and for Europe,” he said.
After delivering a victory speech in his rural base of Tulle in central France, he flew to Paris and addressed tens of thousands of supporters in historic Bastille square.
