France's 'Mr Normal' Hollande moves into Elysee

He dubbed himself "Mr Normal" during France's presidential election campaign, a modest scooter-riding everyman in touch with the concerns of ordinary voters.

French President Francois Hollande

But, after his inauguration on Tuesday, Socialist Francois Hollande faces some far-from-ordinary challenges as the leader of the eurozone's second-largest economy, a nuclear-armed UN Security Council member. Derided by critics as inexperienced and soft -- and nicknamed "Flanby" after a brand of wobbly pudding -- Hollande is set for a crash course in governing following his May 6 victory over right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy. With his elegantly turned out partner Valerie Trierweiler standing nearby,

Hollande vowed during his swearing-in ceremony to govern with "dignity and simplicity", contrasting his style with the flashy Sarkozy.

Even a year ago, few would have expected to see the 57-year-old Hollande moving into the Elysee Palace.

The then IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was seen as all but certain to be the Socialist candidate in Sunday's vote, until his stunning fall from grace in May after sexual assault charges in New York.

At the time Hollande, a backroom deal-maker who led the Socialists for 11 years, was perhaps best known as the former partner of the party's telegenic 2007 candidate, Segolene Royal. AFP