Sarkozy 48%
Hollande beats Sarkozy to take French presidency
Socialist Francois Hollande swept to victory in France's presidential election on Sunday in a swing to the left at the heart of Europe that could start a pushback against German-led austerity.
Hollande beat conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy by a decisive 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent, based on partial results, bringing the centre-left back to government after a decade in opposition.
The outgoing president conceded defeat within 20 minutes of the last polls closing at 8 pm, telling supporters he had telephoned Hollande to wish him good luck.
"I bear the full responsibility for this defeat," Sarkozy said, indicating he would withdraw from frontline politics.
"My place can no longer be the same. My involvement in the life of my country will be different from now on."
Punished for his failure to rein in 10 percent unemployment and for his brash personal style, Sarkozy was the 11th euro zone leader in succession to be swept from power since the currency bloc's debt crisis began in 2009.
Jubilant supporters celebrated outside Socialist Party headquarters and thronged Paris's Bastille square, where revellers danced the night away in 1981 when Francois Mitterrand became France's only previous directly elected Socialist president.
But the celebrations may be overshadowed by a political bombshell in Greece, where mainstream parties were hammered in a parliamentary election that exit polls suggested may leave supporters of Athens' IMF/EU bailout without a majority, raising doubts about its future in the euro zone.
Hollande's clear win should give the self-styled "Mr Normal" the momentum to press German Chancellor Angela Merkel to accept a policy shift towards fostering growth in Europe to balance the austerity that has fuelled anger across southern Europe.
His solid margin also positions the Socialists strongly to win a left-wing majority in parliamentary elections next month, especially since the anti-immigration National Front is set to split the right-wing vote and hurt Sarkozy's UMP party.
(Reuters)
Hollande beat conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy by a decisive 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent, based on partial results, bringing the centre-left back to government after a decade in opposition.
The outgoing president conceded defeat within 20 minutes of the last polls closing at 8 pm, telling supporters he had telephoned Hollande to wish him good luck.
"I bear the full responsibility for this defeat," Sarkozy said, indicating he would withdraw from frontline politics.
"My place can no longer be the same. My involvement in the life of my country will be different from now on."
Punished for his failure to rein in 10 percent unemployment and for his brash personal style, Sarkozy was the 11th euro zone leader in succession to be swept from power since the currency bloc's debt crisis began in 2009.
Jubilant supporters celebrated outside Socialist Party headquarters and thronged Paris's Bastille square, where revellers danced the night away in 1981 when Francois Mitterrand became France's only previous directly elected Socialist president.
But the celebrations may be overshadowed by a political bombshell in Greece, where mainstream parties were hammered in a parliamentary election that exit polls suggested may leave supporters of Athens' IMF/EU bailout without a majority, raising doubts about its future in the euro zone.
Hollande's clear win should give the self-styled "Mr Normal" the momentum to press German Chancellor Angela Merkel to accept a policy shift towards fostering growth in Europe to balance the austerity that has fuelled anger across southern Europe.
His solid margin also positions the Socialists strongly to win a left-wing majority in parliamentary elections next month, especially since the anti-immigration National Front is set to split the right-wing vote and hurt Sarkozy's UMP party.
(Reuters)
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