François Hollande: “Me, President…”

At 57, François Hollande replaces Nicolas Sarkozy as French president, even if, in the socialist imagination, he succeeds François Mitterrand.

Many didn't expect it. François Hollande is said to have slowly but surely built the staircase of his ambition. When he entered this election, following Dominique Strauss-Kahn's fall into hell, he had nothing to lose. A long-time candidate, he found himself propelled into the role of favorite in this primary that was to designate the champion of the left. Determined to change his image as a "nice, plump guy who entertains the crowd with his little jokes," he imposed a diet on himself that gave him a pleasant silhouette, he opted for more modern glasses that slimmed his face, he adopted a deeper, more measured tone of voice, and now wanted to appear more serious. For his campaign, he chose youth as his theme and taxation as his tool.

Some anchors

Journalists have noted that the former president and the new one share some common points: the same roots in rural France, the same concern for the party (founded by one, led by the other for eleven years), the same taste for speeches, to the point that Hollande during the campaign cannot help but sometimes adopt the same intonations.

From Monday, work

Even though his partner Valérie Trierweiler is dreaming of a 36-hour break after this exhausting campaign, François Hollande will be back at work at the Élysée Palace starting tomorrow. On Wednesday, as soon as the Constitutional Council announces the results, he will travel to Germany to meet Angela Merkel and discuss the European treaty.