François Hollande

French elections in images: Hollande rides to the deprived suburbs to rally abstentionists

France — Video

Photographer Patrick Artinian is following the French presidential election campaign trail for Mediapart, with a series of photo and video reportages of the candidates, their supporters, meetings and the milestone events. Here he follows Socialist Party candidate François Hollande on a day-long tour of socially-deprived suburban areas, or banlieues, close to Paris, the scenes of major riots seven years ago, where the turnout for elections is traditionally low. The often disenfranchised population of these neighbourhoods, composed of a comparatively high proportion of North and West African immigrant families, and first- or second-generation French, suffer from an unemployment rate often above twice the national average. At one meeting he exhorted a cheering crowd: “Don’t let others decide in your place, come and vote.” Referring to the stigmatization of ethnic and religious groups during the campaign by both the mainstream Right and Far Right, he said: “When I see you, when I look at you, I don’t guess at your religion by your face. I will not let France’s children be humiliated.”

A Hollande victory unlikely to change French economic course

France — Link

Socialist candidate François Holland has attacked bankers and the rich, but his policies in office would be shaped by conservative advisers.

Support for Hollande will crumble, predicts Sarkozy's oracle

France — Link

Nicolas Sarkozy's strategy guru Patrick Buisson predicts socialist presidential election rival Hollande will fare worse than Ségolène Royal in 2007.

Polish PM denies boycott of Hollande

International — Link

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has denied boycotting French Socialist Party presidential candidate François Hollande during a visit to Poland.

Hollande's partner in cover photo row with her employer Paris Match

France — Link

François Hollande's partner Valérie Trierweiler has expressed fury at being splashed on the front page of Paris Match magazine, her employer.

Hollande promises 75% tax on top incomes

France — Link

French Socialist Party presidential candidate François Hollande has promised to tax those who annually earn above 1 million euros at 75% of income.

Corruption cases haunt Hollande's presidential election campaign

France — Link

A slew of corruption scandals on French Socialist Party turf have become an unwelcome distraction for its candidate François Hollande.

Hollande holds out olive branch to City of London

International — Link

Socialist presidential candidate François Hollande tells British press that he wants Britain, and even the City of London,to feel "part of Europe".

Hollande slams Sarkozy's 'bad for society' wooing of far-right vote

France — Link

Socialist presidential candidate François Hollande attacks Nicolas Sarkozy for wooing far-right vote and using state ressources on unofficial campaign.

French Green candidate recieved 'bullet threat', while socialist candidate Hollande is flour-bombed

France — Link

Green presidential candidate Eva Joly has received 'bullet' death threats while socialist candidate François Hollande was flour-bombed in Paris.

Cautious Hollande unveils 'serious' election manifesto

France

Four days after delivering a rousing performance of lofty rhetoric in a keynote speech to supporters at Le Bourget last Sunday, Socialist Party presidential candidate François Hollande has finally presented his policy programme. At a sobre press conference on Thursday, the current frontrunner appeared more concerned about demonstrating his economic competence than with “battling the world of finance”, the promise he made to the cheering party faithful last weekend. Lénaïg Bredoux and Stéphane Alliès report.

Hollande targets rich in tax-rise election manifesto

France — Link

Socialist Party presidential candidate François Hollande has promised to raise taxes on banks, big firms and the rich, and to fund job creations.

The mysterious role of François Hollande's would-be First Lady

France

With less than 90 days to go before the French presidential elections, Socialist Party candidate François Hollande remains the frontrunner in what most observers predict will be a two-horse race with outgoing President, yet still undeclared candidate, Nicolas Sarkozy. Hollande’s companion, French journalist Valérie Trierweiler (pictured with Hollande), little-known to the public, has until now played a low-profile in the elections, while continuing her professional activities. Yet she has her own personal office at Hollande’s campaign HQ. Mathilde Mathieu and Michaël Hajdenberg have been trying, not without difficulty, to find out more about the true role of she who would be France’s next First Lady.

French presidential frontrunner Hollande pledges to fight finance

France — Link

Socialist Party presidential candidate François Hollande reveals proposed tax on financial transactions and splitting retail and investment banks.

François Hollande and his balancing act for the French presidency

France — Analysis

With 100 days to go before the first round of the French presidential elections, Socialist Party candidate François Hollande (pictured) is still baffling observers and rivals alike. In the wings for over a year now, Hollande has pulled off a tour de force by imposing his slow tempo on the political debate, displaying a singular virtuosity in the art of fuzziness. Stéphane Alliès takes a closer look at the strategy of the man who hopes to become France's first socialist president since 1995.