Francois Hollande
Francois Hollande
François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande; born 12 August 1954) is the President of the French Republic and Co-Prince of Andorra, having been elected to the position in 2012. Hollande was previously the First Secretary of the French Socialist Party from 1997 to 2008, the mayor of Tulle from 2001 to 2008, and the President of the Corrèze General Council from 2008 to 2012. Hollande also served in the National Assembly of France twice for the department of Corrèze's 1st Constituency...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth12 August 1954
CityRouen, France
CountryFrance
I don't want to drive the markets crazy. I don't want to create trouble, but rather order and rules and norms. We have to struggle against financial excesses, those who speculate with sovereign debt, those who develop financial products which have done so much harm.
I'm not a lukewarm European. I know that the German-French friendship is indispensable, no matter who the countries' leaders are.
Symbols mean a lot in politics. They indicate a will and create new realities.
Mitterrand had a sense for symbols, and he was the first Socialist president since 1958. He wanted to show that there is historical continuity, a connection with the great figures of French history.
There's always a risk when the candidate becomes president: Will he deliver what is expected of him?
Germany and France are pinning their hopes on young people, in terms of education, science and innovation.
My obligation, if I become president, is to give another direction to Europe than the one that is being forced upon us today.
Nothing was given to me, nothing was entrusted to me, nothing was assigned to me. Everything I have, I took by right.
My mission is to put France back on its feet. The priority is employment. Efforts have to be made, but those efforts must be made fairly.
The transatlantic relationship is vital for both our countries: France will remain a reliable ally of the United States. Nevertheless, ally does not mean aligned.
Between France and Senegal there's a history. There's a language that we both speak. There's a culture that we share and to which both of our peoples have contributed. But beyond our history, beyond our language, beyond the links that have united us for so long, what unites us today is the future.
My goal is to put France back on its feet. I have to put this country back on its feet.
During a term in office there are highs and lows, but what counts is that the goal is set as well as the means to achieve it, and the force we put into getting results.
My adversary is the world of finance.