(Paris) – French socialist, Francois Hollande has won a clear victory in the country’s presidential election. Hollande got an estimated 52% of votes in Sunday’s run-off. Admitting defeat, Nicolas Sarkozy wished “good luck” to Hollande.
Exuberant Hollande supporters gathered on Place de la Bastille in Paris, a traditional rallying point of the Left, to celebrate. Hollande is the first socialist to win the French presidency since Francois Mitterrand in the 1980s gave his victory speech in his stronghold of Tulle in central France. He said was “proud to have been capable of giving people hope again”. He said he would push ahead with his pledge to refocus EU fiscal efforts from austerity to “growth”. “Europe is watching us, austerity can no longer be the only option,” he said.
Analysts say the vote has wide implications for the whole eurozone.