Francois Hollande, the former leader of France’s Socialist Party, has been elected president of France, defeating incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy.
Despite being one of France's best known politicians, the 57-year-old Hollande has never held a position in the national government.
Dominique Moisi, senior adviser to the French Institute of International Affairs in Paris, notes that Mr. Hollande has been on the French political scene for more than 30 years, climbing up through the ranks under the last Socialist president, Francois Mitterrand.
- Francois Hollande - New French President 