Francois Hollande has been elected France’s first Socialist president in nearly two decades, beating incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in a vote marked by anger over austerity measures, high unemployment and the country’s lagging economy.? Initial official results of Sunday’s vote show Hollande winning with 52 percent of the vote. Surveys predicted Francois Hollande would be the winner in the second-round runoff.? And the Socialist candidate and his supporters savored the victory. Thousands of people gathered around the Socialist Party headquarters and the Place de la Bastille in Paris, a historic site of the French Revolution, to celebrate Hollande’s victory.? Crowds also packed Hollande’s political home base of Tulle in central France, where the president-elect delivered his victory speech. Photo Gallery Hollande said Europe is watching France and he predicted that his victory would be celebrated in other European countries.? He said it signified that economic austerity is not the final word and that his message is one of growth and prosperity. Turnout was high, with about 80 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots, higher than during the first round of voting in April.? The strength of the Socialist victory will be determined during France’s legislative elections, next month

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VOA News: News