Francois Hollande defeated Nicholas Sarkozy to become 24th French President

The Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande defeated the Union for a Popular Movement leader and incumbent president Nicholas Sarkozy to become the 24th French President in the final presidential elections held on 6 May 2012. Hollande the leader of France’s largest left wing party, is the second socialist president of second largest European economy. The Socialist Party first won power in 1981, when its candidate François Mitterrand was elected President of France in the 1981 presidential election. Under Mitterrand, the party achieved a governing majority in the National Assembly from 1981 to 1986 and again from 1988 to 1993.

Born on 12 August 1954 Hollande started his political career as a student leader and fought students’ presidential election in 1974 but was defeated. Hollande  joined the Socialist Party in 1979. He later held the position of the First Secretary of the French Socialist Party from 1997 to 2008. Hollande also served as a Deputy of the National Assembly of France for Corrèze's 1st Constituency since 1997, the seat he earlier represented from 1988 to 1993. From 2001 to 2008, he served as the Mayor of Tulle and since 2008 he acted as the President of the Corrèze General Council .