Hollande wins French left’s presidential primary
Sarkozy certain to run for re-election from the
right-wing:
FRANCE: French Socialist lawmaker Francois Hollande was
crowned favourite for next year’s presidential election on Sunday,
winning the left’s primary to choose a challenger for Nicolas Sarkozy.
Sarkozy, the right-wing incumbent, is all but certain to run for
re-election, but recent opinion polls show him on course to lose, and
Hollande’s victory will serve as a springboard for his challenge.
With most of an estimated 2.8 to three million votes counted,
Hollande had an unassailable lead over Socialist leader Martine Aubry,
who conceded.
“It’s a great victory for democracy,” Hollande said, hailing not only
his own success, but his party’s in organising France’s first ever
US-style open primary, which he hopes has given him a convincing
mandate.
“I want to re-enchant the French dream,” he said. “France needs a
programme that will bring it back to itself. I want to be the candidate
of respect and of dialogue, who brings a new definition to the
presidency.”
“Tonight, we rally behind our candidate,” Aubry declared, welcoming
her erstwhile opponent to Socialist Party headquarters to celebrate his
victory.
Segolene Royal, who is both Hollande’s former partner and the
Socialist’s defeated candidate in the 2007 election, said the win was
both an “undeniable advance” and showed supporters’ “very strong trust”
in the victor.
Hollande had the backing of the four defeated first-round candidates
and entered the run-off as favourite, but Aubry mounted a tough fight
back, branding him a soft centrist without the steel to defeat Sarkozy.
Aubry, 61, the former labour minister who gave France its 35-hour
working week, also attacked Hollande’s lack of executive experience.
But 57-year-old Hollande turned the attacks to his advantage,
accusing Aubry of undermining party unity.
FP |