2012 French presidential election

Election of François Hollande November 2019 France presidential 2007 French presidential election 2007 2017 French presidential election 2017 22 April 2012 (first round)6 May 2012 (second round) x180px François Hollande Socialist Party (France) 18,000,668 51.64% x180px Nicolas Sarkozy Union for a Popular Movement 16,860,685 48.36% 300px First round results by department and region 300px Second round results by department and region 2 President Nicolas Sarkozy Union for a Popular Movement François Hollande Socialist Party (France) 79.48% (first round) 4.29 pp80.35% (second round) 3.62 pp 200x200px Presidential elections were held in France on 22 April 2012 (or 21 April in some overseas departments and territories), with a second round run-off held on 6 May (or 5 May for those same territories) to elect the President of France (who is also ex officio one of the two joint heads of state of Andorra, a sovereign state). The incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy was running for a second five-year term for which he was eligible for under the Constitution of France. The first round ended with the selection of François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy as second round participants, as neither of them received a majority of votes cast in the first round. Hollande won the runoff with 51.64% of the vote to Sarkozy's 48.36%. Hollande was the former partner of Ségolène Royal, whom Sarkozy defeated five years earlier in 2007.Ministère de l'Interieur: Élection Présidentielle 2012, Résultats 2nd tour It was the second time in French history and the first time since the 1981 election that a President seeking reelection was denied a second term, and the only time the incumbent seeking reelection did not obtain the most votes in the first round. The presidential elections were followed by legislative elections in June. This is the last French presidential election in which the winning candidate won by a single-digit margin. Electoral system In overseas departments and territories of France located west of metropolitan France (Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and French Polynesia), voting takes place a day early, so that citizens in those territories and departments do not find themselves voting after the initial announcement of results. This is also the case for French residents in foreign countries west of metropolitan France. Some of these communities are remote; Amerindians in French Guiana, who are French citizens, "sometimes live more than three hours away by canoe from their ballot box", particularly in the large remote commune of Maripasoula. The electoral campaign papers sent to these voters, however, reportedly indicated 22 April as the day of the election, instead of 21 April.http://www.liberation.fr/politiques/2012/04/22/guyane-en-taxi-pirogue-vers-les-buraux-de-vote_813411 Guyane: en taxi-pirogue vers les bureaux de vote Libération 22 April 2012 6 May 2012 Candidates In order to qualify for the first round of voting, a candidate had to collect the signatures of at least five hundred elected representatives among a total of more than 47,000; these could be mayors, general councillors, regional councillors, deputies, senators, members of the European Parliament elected in France.de la Baume Maia In a Political Ritual, Candidates Tour France in a Race for 500 Signatures https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/world/europe/in-political-rite-french-hopefuls-seek-500-backers.html 3 February 2012 The New York Times 30 January 2012 The number of signatures per candidate is not released, but five hundred signatories for each candidate are chosen randomly and their names are published.http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2012/03/31/presidentielle-2012-les-noms-de-500-parrains-de-chaque-candidat/ Présidentielle 2012: les noms de 500 parrains de chaque candidat publiés au Journal officiel Le Huffington Post 1 March 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170301092845/http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2012/03/31/presidentielle-2012-les-noms-de-500-parrains-de-chaque-candidat/ 1 March 2017 dead Ten candidates qualified in 2012:Décision du 19 mars 2012 arrêtant la liste des candidats à l’élection présidentielle https://web.archive.org/web/20120417021012/http://www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr/conseil-constitutionnel/root/bank/download/cc2012listecandidats.pdf 17 April 2012 – Conseil Constitutionnel Primaries Socialist Party French Socialist Party presidential primary, 2011 The 2011 French Socialist Party presidential primary was the first open primary (primaires citoyennes), jointly held by the French Socialist Party and Radical Party of the Lefthttp://www.parti-socialiste.fr/articles/second-tour-des-primaires-citoyennes-les-resultats Second tour des Primaires citoyennes, les résultats fr Parti-socialiste.fr 22 April 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20111221041628/http://www.parti-socialiste.fr/articles/second-tour-des-primaires-citoyennes-les-resultats 21 December 2011 Angelique Chrisafis French Socialist party election overshadowed by love triangle The Guardian 13 September 2011 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/13/french-socialist-party-love-triangle LondonJonathan Derbyshire French socialist primary New Statesman 9 October 2011 http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/10/french-baylet-riders-round for selecting their candidate for the 2012 presidential election. Voters had to donate at least one Euro and sign a pledge to the values of the Left to be eligible.Q&A: French Socialist presidential primaries BBC News 16 October 2011 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15201158One million voters turn out for French Socialist presidential primary France 24 9 October 2011 http://www.france24.com/en/20111009-ps-socialist-party-france-primaries-presidential-election The filing deadline for primary nomination papers was fixed on 13 July 2011 and six candidates competed in the first round of the vote. On election day, 9 October 2011, no candidate won at least 50% of the vote therefore the two candidates with the most votes contested a runoff election on 16 October 2011: François Hollande won the primary, defeating Martine Aubry.Diffley Angela Hollande or Aubry will take on Sarkozy in presidentials Radio France Internationale 10 October 2011 http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20111010-hollande-or-aubry-will-take-sarkozy-presidential-elections 10 October 2011 The idea for holding an open primary to choose the Socialist Party candidate was originally suggested in 2008 by the left-leaning think tank Terra Nova.http://www.tnova.fr/essai/pour-une-primaire-la-fran-aise Pour une primaire à la Française Terra Nova 15 November 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20150122103828/http://www.tnova.fr/essai/pour-une-primaire-la-fran-aise 22 January 2015 dead Europe Écologie–The Greens thumb|right|The candidates of the Ecology primary sitting together Europe Écologie–The Greens (EELV) held a primary to choose its candidate. The vote was open to all members of the party and of the Independent Ecological Movement. There were four candidates. The first round was held on 29 June 2011. Eva Joly, a member of EELV and a former examining magistrate, obtained 49.75% of the vote, ahead of independent candidate and environmental campaigner Nicolas Hulot (40.22%). The other two candidates, Henri Stoll and Stéphane Lhomme, obtained 5.02% and 4.44% respectively. The second round was held on 12 July, with Eva Joly obtaining 13,223 votes (58.16%) to Hulot's 9,399."Primaire écologiste : Eva Joly l'emporte par 58 % des voix", Le Monde, 12 July 2011 Confirmed candidates Campaign The official campaign began on 20 March, but in the wake of the shooting at the Ozar Hatorah day school in Toulouse the two leading candidates, Hollande and Sarkozy, suspended their campaigns.http://www.lemonde.fr/election-presidentielle-2012/article/2012/03/19/fusillade-de-toulouse-la-classe-politique-exprime-son-emotion_1671861_1471069.html https://archive.today/20120319171823/http://www.lemonde.fr/election-presidentielle-2012/article/2012/03/19/fusillade-de-toulouse-la-classe-politique-exprime-son-emotion_1671861_1471069.html dead 19 March 2012 Fusillade de Toulouse : pour le PS, "la campagne est suspendue" Le Monde 19 March 2012 fr Although Jean-Luc Mélenchon argued that to continue with the campaign was "an act of moral, emotional and intellectual resistance."http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2012/03/20/1310690-toulouse-montauban-poursuivre-la-campagne-un-acte-de-resistance-pour-melenchon.html Poursuivre la campagne, "un acte de résistance" pour Mélenchon fr In some parts of the media, Sarkozy and Le Pen were also criticised for misusing the Midi-Pyrénées shootings as campaign fodder against "radical Islam."http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/04/20124535636544797.html Greek unrest over pensioner suicide Al Jazeera English 6 May 2012 The following is a brief overview of the campaign adapted from information in Le Monde."Retour sur la campagne : la sélection du service politique du "Monde"", Le Monde, 21 April 2012 François Hollande 2012 François Hollande presidential campaign thumb|left|Hollande campaigning François Hollande, the candidate of the Socialist Party and the Radical Party of the Left, topped the opinion polls throughout the campaign. He emphasised his promise to be a "normal" president, in contrast to Nicolas Sarkozy's sometimes controversial presidential style. He aimed to resorb France's national debt by 2017, notably by cancelling tax cuts for the wealthy and tax exemptions introduced by President Sarkozy. Income tax would be raised to 75% for incomes beyond one million euros; the retirement age would be brought back to 60 (with a full pension) for persons who have worked 42 years; 60 000 jobs cut by Nicolas Sarkozy in public education would be recreated. Homosexual couples would have the right to marry and adopt. Residents without European Union passports would be given the right to vote in local elections after five years of legal residency. On housing, he has promised to regulate rises in rent; to use punitive measures to compel towns and cities to apply the 2000 Law on Solidarity and Urban Renewal, which mandates the providing of social housing; and to provide public lands for the building of social housing. Hollande won the election, finishing first on the first balloting of ten candidates in April with 28.63% of the vote, and again finishing first on the runoff ballot between himself and Sarkozy with 51.64% against Sarkozy's 48.36%.http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Elections/Les-resultats/Presidentielles/elecresult__PR2012 Résultats de l'élection présidentielle 2012 Ministère de l'Intérieur Interieur.gouv.fr 11 November 2021 Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Sarkozy, the incumbent president and candidate of the Union for a Popular Movement, was aiming for a second and last term in office. He was consistently second in opinion polls throughout the campaign, behind François Hollande. His reforms during his first term included a reform of universities, and of the retirement age; a reform enabling citizens to query the constitutionality of laws; and a reduction in the number of public sector employees. He argued that his reforms had helped steer France through a period of economic crisis. thumb|right|Sarkozy rally at Place de la Concorde Sarkozy's campaign pledges for his potential second term are described by Le Monde as "anchored on the right". He has promised to reduce legal immigration by 50%; threatened to withdraw France from the Schengen Area unless it were revised to enable stricter border controls; promised to compel beneficiaries of the Revenu de solidarité active to accept certain jobs, in exchange for support in finding them; and opposed Hollande's proposals in favour of gay marriage and voting rights for foreign residents in local elections. He has also promised more frequent referendums, for citizens to be consulted on major issues. Sarkozy admitted during the campaign that he did not visit Fukushima while in Japan after the previous year's earthquake and tsunami, despite having previously said he had done so.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17700791 France's Nicolas Sarkozy admits Fukushima nuclear gaffe BBC News BBC 13 April 2012 13 April 2012 Marine Le Pen 2012 Marine Le Pen presidential campaign thumb|right|Le Pen campaigning Marine Le Pen is the candidate of the National Front, succeeding her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was a candidate in five presidential elections. Aiming to reach the second round, as her father had done in 2002, she also attempted to provide a different image of the party, avoiding the controversial statements previously made by her father. She has advocated "national preference" for French citizens (over foreign residents) for access to jobs and social services, and a form of protectionism, as well as withdrawing from the euro and the European Union. She has advocated reducing legal immigration by 95%, abolishing the right to family reunification, and reinstating the death penalty, abolished in 1981 by then president François Mitterrand. She held the third place in opinion polls for much of the campaign, occasionally rising into first and second place in 2011 or dipping to fourth behind Jean-Luc Mélenchon, but remained consistently behind Hollande and Sarkozy by 2012. She finished the 2012 balloting with 17.90% of the vote tally, placing her third in the final results. Jean-Luc Mélenchon thumb|right|Mélenchon campaigning Jean-Luc Mélenchon is the candidate of the Left Front, which includes in particular the French Communist Party and the Left Party. (He is a member of the latter.) He has been described as the surprise or revelation of the campaign, with his level of support in opinion polls rising from 5% in October 2011 to around 15% (and sometimes up to 17%) by the end of the campaign. He finished in the first round of balloting with 11.10% of the national electorate, placing him fourth in the field of 10 candidates. He inaugurated the practice of giant open-air meetings, which the two leading candidates then adopted in turn. A former French teacher, he was noted for his eloquent style and oratory, but also for his argumentative relationship with journalists, and occasional insults; he notably described Marine Le Pen as "half-demented". He proposed raising the minimum wage to €1,700; setting a maximum wage differential of 1 to 20 in all businesses, so that employers wishing to increase their own salaries would also have to increase those of their employees; setting social and environmental norms which businesses would have to respect in order to receive public subsidies; supporting social enterprises through government procurement; taxing imports which do not meet certain social and environmental norms; and reestablishing 60 as the legal retirement age with a full pension. There would be an "ecological planification" towards a green, sustainable economy, backed by a "green rule" (règle verte) to be inscribed in the Constitution. On tax, he has proposed a progressive taxation, with higher taxes on the wealthy and a 100% tax rate beyond an income of €360,000 (thereby creating a maximum wage); expatriate French nationals established in a country with a lower tax rate than in France would pay the difference in tax in France. Businesses creating jobs, paying higher wages and/or providing training would receive tax cuts. Healthcare costs would be fully reimbursed by the state, and the right to die would be recognised. The right to abortion would be secured through inclusion in the Constitution. Homosexual couples would have the right to marry and adopt. Naturalisation of foreign residents would be facilitated, and foreign residents would have the right to vote in local elections. A constitutional convention would be assembled, with an aim in particular to increase the prerogatives of Parliament and diminish the powers of the President; all elections would be based on proportional representation, with gender parity. François Bayrou thumb|left|Bayrou campaigning François Bayrou was the candidate of the Democratic Movement, which he founded in 2007. He is one of only two candidates to stand in both the 2007 and 2012 elections (the other being Nicolas Sarkozy); he obtained 18.57% of the vote in 2007, finishing third. In the 2012 election he received 9.13% of the vote in the first round of balloting, finishing fifth. He stands for an independent centre in politics, which he has sought to distinguish clearly both from the left and the right. Describing France as being "in a critical state", he has focused on reducing the country's national debt, through a public spending freeze, cuts to tax exemptions, and a raise in taxes (Value added tax and taxes on the wealthy). On education, he has proposed that half the time in primary school should be dedicated to the mastering of reading and writing. Eva Joly 2012 Eva Joly presidential campaign thumb|right|Joly campaigning Eva Joly was the candidate of Europe Écologie–The Greens. Before entering politics for this election, she was a known public figure, as the examining magistrate in criminal corruption cases involving powerful companies or individuals – notably the Elf Aquitaine oil company, the Crédit Lyonnais bank or businessman and politician Bernard Tapie. (See: Elf affair (fr).) She is also the first foreign-born person to stand for the French presidency; born in Norway, she is a naturalized French citizen. She focused her campaign not only on the environment but also on social issues, describing herself as the representative of the "reasonable" or "realistic" left, and on denouncing discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities. Homosexual couples would be given the right to marry and adopt, and foreign residents would have the right to vote in all elections. She suggested that the "ecological transformation of the economy" would create 600 000 jobs over the next five years. An agreement signed between her party and the Socialist Party contained a clause on the closing of nuclear reactors; in the final stages of the campaign, when François Hollande announced it would not be upheld, she expressed the hope she could still convince him. She also drew attention by accusing Nicolas Sarkozy of having obtained illicit funding for his previous campaign; critics accused her of ignoring the presumption of innocence, and Sarkozy himself replied that he "despised" her accusations. Known for her bright red glasses, which she symbolically switched for bright green ones, she was described by the press as struggling with her campaign, barely reaching 3% in opinion polls. Nicolas Dupont-Aignan thumb|left|Dupont-Aignan campaigning Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, described as an "anti-euro souverainist", is the candidate of Arise the Republic, a party he founded in 2008. He has advocated leaving the euro on grounds of economic well-being, and the European Union "in its current form", which he describes as "already dead" and leading to "economic ruin and social regression". He has called for an "intelligent protectionism", with tariffs on imports that result from "human slavery"; and tax cuts for businesses that reinvest their profits in France. He has described himself as a Gaullist. Philippe Poutou thumb|right|Poutou campaigning Philippe Poutou, a worker at a Ford factory in Blanquefort, is the candidate of the New Anticapitalist Party, succeeding Olivier Besancenot. For much of the campaign, he remained little known to the general public; he was described as lacking Besancenot's popularity, charisma and ease with words. Freely admitting that he did not particularly want to be a candidate, and that he did not aim to be elected (particularly as one of his policies was to abolish the function of president, in favour of a fully parliamentary system), he saw his profile and popularity increase somewhat in the late stages of the campaign, when all candidates obtained equal airtime in the media. In particular, his unconventional behaviour drew attention during the television programme Des paroles et des actes (fr), along with his unusual campaign clips – such as one based on the film The Artist."Et Philippe Poutou creva soudain l'écran...", Le Monde, 12 April 2012"Philippe Poutou est... "The Anticapitaliste"", La Dépêche, 20 April 2012 Like Nathalie Arthaud, his message was that improvements in workers' rights would come through workers' struggles and demands rather than through the ballot box. Nathalie Arthaud thumb|left|Arthaud campaigning Nathalie Arthaud, a teacher of economics and management in a secondary school, is the candidate of Workers' Struggle. She succeeds famous perennial candidate Arlette Laguiller, who represented the party in six consecutive presidential elections, from 1974 to 2007. A Trotskyist, she has described herself as the "only communist candidate" in the election. She has stated that she does not aim to be elected, describing elections as "inessential", and considering that workers will obtain new rights only through their struggles rather than through the ballot box. Jacques Cheminade Jacques Cheminade is the candidate of his Solidarity and Progress movement, the French branch of the LaRouche movement. Described as a "conspiracy theorist" by the press, he drew some attention with his proposals for an expanded space programme, and stagnated slightly above 0% in the opinion polls. Second round thumb|François Hollande at a meeting during 2012 political campaign. Since the first round there had been a drive to woo far-right votersParussini Gabriele https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303459004577363560927314748 subscription French Candidates Woo Far-Right Voters Wall Street Journal 26 April 2012 25 April 2012 with Sarkozy making immigration a major issue of his campaign and Hollande focusing on the euro-zone crisis and the state of the economy.French Far Right a Challenge for Europe and Sarkozy 23 April 2012 Sarkozy's move to the right in embracing National Front themes such as stricter immigration has drawn criticism from prominent figures from his own party such as former Prime Ministers Dominique de Villepin, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Alain Juppé and Senators Chantal Jouanno and Jean-René Lecerf. Unease grows in Sarkozy party over rightward lurch https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-election-strategy-idUSBRE83S06520120429 Reuters 29 April 2012 There was more criticism of the German-led austerity measures by Hollande,Donahue Patrick https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-29/europe-seeks-to-restore-calm-after-spain-downgrade-growth-spat.html Europe's Anti-Austerity Calls Mount as Elections Near Bloomberg 6 May 2012 30 April 2012 while he also responded to Sarkozy's words at a rally in Toulouse saying that "without borders there is no nation, there is no Republic, there is no civilisation. We are not superior to others but we are different." In turn Hollande told a bigger rally in Paris that "I want victory, but not at any price, not at the price of caricature and lies. I want to win over the men and women who are angry, a hundred times yes, but compromise myself? A thousand times no."http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/04/2012429232227584902.html French presidential hopefuls in final battle Al Jazeera English 6 May 2012 Sarkozy reiterated threats to withdraw from the Schengen Agreement if there was no tightening of border controls. He also said that there would be a presumption of self-defense when police are involved in the killing of suspects and criticised the EU's lack of mention of Europe's Christian roots in its constitution. Many of the issues were similar to that of the National Front, from which Sarkozy's UMP gained votes between the 2002 and 2007 election. He further spoke "to those French who stay home, don't complain when Francois Hollande is elected and regularizes all illegal immigrants and lets foreigners vote."Viscusi Gregory https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-29/sarkozy-win-rests-with-anti-europe-voters-in-towns-like-le-hamel.html Sarkozy Win Rests With Anti-Europe Voters in Towns Like Le Hamel Bloomberg 29 April 2012 6 May 2012 Le Pen stated she would submit a blank ballot in the run-off, calling on her supporters to make their own choices.Gavin Hewitt https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17906203 France election: Le Pen 'to cast blank vote' in run-off BBC 1 May 2012 6 May 2012 Bayrou announced on 3 May that he would vote for Hollande.http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20120504-centrist-bayrou-gives-support-hollande-ahead-sundays-presidential-run Surprise backing for Hollande from centrist Bayrou in presidential run-off with Sarkozy – France – RFI 4 May 2012 6 May 2012 German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said she saw nothing "normal" in Hollande, despite his attempts to portray himself as such; instead she supported Sarkozy's campaign.Andrew Simmons http://blogs.aljazeera.com/europe/2012/05/03/france-debate-verbal-fusion-and-political-divide France debate: verbal fusion and political divide | Al Jazeera Blogs Blogs.aljazeera.com 28 April 2012 6 May 2012 Campaigning officially ended on 4 May.Cajsa Wikstrom http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/05/20125504418904945.html French election campaigning closes – Europe Al Jazeera English 4 October 2011 6 May 2012 In the last government bond sale before the election, the previously rising yields fell slightly, while the amount sold was marginally lower than expected.Deen Mark https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-03/french-borrowing-costs-drop-at-last-bond-sale-before-vote.html French Borrowing Costs Drop at Last Bond Sale Before Vote Bloomberg 30 April 2012 6 May 2012 International effect The campaign has led to a "certain degree of gridlock in EU's corridors of power". It's unclear who will be the head of the Euro Group, who will join the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB) and who will lead the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/gridlock-in-eus-corridors_207463.html Gridlock in EU's corridors Europe Online Magazine 4 May 2012 Endorsements In the days before the election, editorials in the main newspapers expressed opinions about the two candidates. Le Monde did not explicitly support one or the other, but wrote that Hollande "has confirmed, between the two rounds, his consistency, albeit without addressing the vagueness of some of his own proposals", while Sarkozy "has demonstrated his inconsistency, first running after the National Front, crossing the red line which had been set at the turn of the 1980s, and respected since then in the ranks of the republican right, before moving back towards the centre to avoid a breakdown with his own side"."Editorial : "Vivre ensemble"", Le Monde, 4 May 2012 Libération supported Hollande:"Votez", Libération, 4 May 2012 On the right, Nicolas Sarkozy has kept up a strategy of tension, leading his side into a transgression of its founding values. Whatever the outcome of the vote, the political landscape will remain, as a consequence, marked by a lasting and dangerous change. On the left, François Hollande has demonstrated that another vision of politics, another way of conceiving the State, another European politics are not only possible but within sight. And that, to finish, justice must be the cardinal virtue of societies such as ours, marked by a deep crisis and anger. Le Figaro published an editorial in support of Sarkozy."Le destin de la France", Etienne Mougeotte, Le Figaro, 4 May 2012 Of the candidates who went out in the first round, Bayrou, Joly and Cheminade all explicitly declared their support for Hollande in the second round, while Mélenchon and Poutou implicitly endorsed a vote for Hollande by urging their supporters to vote against Sarkozy. Dupont-Aignan backed Sarkozy, while Le Pen and Arthaud declined to support either candidate. Debates There was one televised debate between Hollande and Sarkozy, although Sarkozy said he would prefer three,http://www.ntn24.com/news/news/hollande-rejects-sarkozy-chall-12749 Hollande rejects Sarkozy challenge to hold three TV debates NTN24.com 22 April 2012 26 April 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120430053618/http://www.ntn24.com/news/news/hollande-rejects-sarkozy-chall-12749 30 April 2012 dead an idea Hollande rejected. This took place on 2 May.http://www.france24.com/en/20120423-sarkozy-hollande-presidential-election-tv-debate?ns_campaign=editorial&ns_source=RSS_public&ns_mchannel=RSS&ns_fee=0&ns_linkname=20120423_sarkozy_hollande_presidential_election_tv_debate Sarkozy looks to TV debates to snatch election victory 23 April 2012 France 24 26 April 2012 Hollande accused Sarkozy of dividing the French and failing to lower unemployment. Hollande promised to be a president for social justice, economic recovery and national unity. Sarkozy was said to have told Hollande that his lack of experience in national government made him unfit for the task of leading the world's fifth-largest economy in a crisis.http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/men-in-black-with-black-ties_207218.html Sarkozy fails to land knockout punch in testy TV duel Europe Online Magazine 3 May 2012 21 May 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130521181224/http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/men-in-black-with-black-ties_207218.html dead Opinion polls Opinion polling for the 2012 French presidential election First round File:Opinion polling for the French presidential election, 2012.png Second round File:Opinion polling for the French presidential election, 2012 Hollande–Sarkozy.png French law sets a blackout of the release of exit polls until the last polling station is closed at 20:00, with fines of up to €75,000. However, the result was leaked on Twitter, circumventing the law with code names: "Flanby" for Hollande, "le nain" (midget) for Sarkozy, Titanic for Marine Le Pen, or Tomate for Mélenchon, as well as other humorous names and metaphors were also used such as Amsterdam (for Hollande), Budapest (for Sarkozy, who has Hungarian heritage), Berlin (for Le Pen, due to the Nazi past of Germany) and Moscow (for Mélenchon, due to the Communist past of Russia). The hashtag #RadioLondres was used as it recalls the coded messages from World War II sent by Radio Londres.http://leplus.nouvelobs.com/contribution/537611-presidentielle-radio-londres-quand-twitter-detourne-la-loi-electorale-avec-humour.html Nouvelobs "Radio Londres": quand Twitter détourne la loi électorale avec humour Leplus.nouvelobs.com 22 April 2012 EU-based media outlets not subject to the French blackout law reported early exit poll results before closure of the polls, in both rounds of the election.http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2012/05/06/news/francia_risultati-34565294/ Francia, François Hollande è il nuovo presidente 6 May 2012 la Repubblica it France, François Hollande is the new president (Content and title since updated).http://www.lesoir.be/dossiers_speciaux/special2/2012-05-06/francois-hollande-elu-president-de-la-republique-913937.php François Hollande élu Président de la République Le Soir Belgium fr 6 May 2012 François Hollande elected President of the Republic 6 May 2012 6 May 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120506181937/http://www.lesoir.be/dossiers_speciaux/special2/2012-05-06/francois-hollande-elu-president-de-la-republique-913937.php deadhttps://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0426/1224315193035.html Ban on French election exit polls ignored as digital media knows no frontiers – The Irish Times – Thu, Apr 26, 2012 The Irish Times 26 April 2012 16 April 2020 3 May 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120503154804/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0426/1224315193035.html dead Olivier Cimelière reported that some people saw a risk of manipulating future elections.http://leplus.nouvelobs.com/contribution/537774-twitter-et-radio-londres-tricherie-electorale-ou-vrai-defi-democratique.html Nouvelobs Cheating or true democratical challenge? Leplus.nouvelobs.com 22 April 2012 Results right|225px|thumb|Results by commune for the 1st round of French presidential elections, 2012. #ff8080 Hollande 0 #0066cc Sarkozy 0 #404040 Le Pen 0 #dd0000 Mélenchon 0 #ff9900 Bayrou 0 #00c000 Joly 0 #8040C0 Dupont-Aignan 0 #b9b9b9 Tie 0 François Hollande received 51.64% of the votes, while Nicolas Sarkozy secured 48.36% of the votes in the second round.http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Elections/Les-resultats/Presidentielles/elecresult__PR2012/(path)/PR2012/FE.html Résultats de l'élection présidentielle 2012 Elections.interieur.gouv.fr 7 May 2012 Sarkozy became the first one-term president since Valéry Giscard d'Estaing lost to François Mitterrand in 1981. François Hollande Socialist Party 10272705 18000668 Nicolas Sarkozy(incumbent) Union for a Popular Movement 9753629 16860685 Marine Le Pen National Front 6421426 Jean-Luc Mélenchon Left Front 3984822 François Bayrou Democratic Movement 3275122 Eva Joly Europe Ecology – The Greens 828345 Nicolas Dupont-Aignan Republic Arise 643907 Philippe Poutou New Anticapitalist Party 411160 Nathalie Arthaud Workers' Struggle 202548 Jacques Cheminade Solidarity and Progress 89545 701190 2154956 46028542 46066307 Constitutional Council (First round Second round) First round Tables Results by department Department François Hollande Nicolas Sarkozy Marine Le Pen Jean-Luc Mélenchon François Bayrou Eva Joly Nicolas Dupont-Aignan Philippe Poutou Nathalie Arthaud Jacques Cheminade Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %Votes %Ain73,096 22.7 97,722 30.466,540 20.730,898 9.632,650 10.27,268 2.37,208 2.23,323 1.01,794 0.68600.3Aisne 80,751 27.172,090 24.278,452 26.330,360 10.219,895 6.73,455 1.25,853 2.03,860 1.32,490 0.87380.2Allier 61,131 29.749,477 24.037,736 18.327,969 13.617,814 8.63,232 1.64,068 2.02,584 1.31,482 0.74570.2Alpes-de-Haute-Provence24,551 24.4 25,668 25.520,875 20.715,269 15.17,483 7.42,933 2.91,845 1.81,394 1.4487 0.52830.3Hautes-Alpes21,248 24.5 22,655 26.115,359 17.712,175 14.08,559 9.93,147 3.61,782 2.11,152 1.3488 0.62120.2Alpes-Maritimes111,990 19.2 216,738 37.2136,982 23.549,493 8.538,980 6.712,556 2.29,241 1.64,048 0.71,576 0.31,2380.2Ardèche 52,156 26.047,687 23.840,216 20.028,247 14.118,373 9.25,621 2.83,890 1.92,750 1.41,257 0.65210.3Ardennes 44,441 28.937,524 24.437,628 24.514,260 9.311,551 7.51,868 1.22,787 1.81,981 1.31,185 0.83660.2Ariège 33,003 34.417,979 18.716,125 16.816,197 16.96,411 6.72,742 2.91,446 1.51,396 1.5528 0.52210.2Aube36,967 22.8 49,196 30.340,740 25.112,860 7.913,575 8.42,294 1.43,524 2.21,632 1.0990 0.64070.3Aude 65,783 30.446,801 21.650,234 23.228,456 13.213,076 6.04,516 2.13,184 1.52,724 1.31,116 0.54580.2Aveyron 53,493 29.446,351 25.525,619 14.122,282 12.322,809 12.64,243 2.33,095 1.72,417 1.3969 0.54350.2Bouches-du-Rhône255,052 24.5 286,175 27.5243,348 23.4139,719 13.466,082 6.421,977 2.114,087 1.48,293 0.83,641 0.32,2490.2Calvados 117,773 29.3109,745 27.365,126 16.242,396 10.640,562 10.18,569 2.18,227 2.05,385 1.32,641 0.71,0080.3Cantal 30,353 30.828,151 28.614,877 15.18,836 9.010,980 11.21,534 1.61,630 1.71,218 1.2587 0.62400.2Charente 68,691 32.848,291 23.137,121 17.723,707 11.318,461 8.83,843 1.84,278 2.03,084 1.51,460 0.75230.2Charente-Maritime 107,821 28.5106,431 28.166,076 17.439,313 10.434,381 9.18,378 2.27,900 2.15,392 1.42,161 0.68880.2Cher 48,608 26.845,331 25.035,825 19.725,079 13.816,048 8.82,861 1.63,825 2.12,218 1.21,387 0.84330.2Corrèze 67,070 43.033,706 21.620,784 13.316,462 10.510,824 6.92,155 1.42,577 1.71,581 1.0659 0.42770.2Corse-du-Sud16,540 22.3 23,623 31.819,081 25.77,191 9.74,069 5.51,658 2.2797 1.1873 1.2220 0.31630.2Haute-Corse22,489 26.0 26,869 31.120,128 23.38,643 10.03,981 4.62,020 2.3930 1.11,001 1.2282 0.31740.2Côte-d'Or80,321 27.8 82,588 28.654,472 18.827,496 9.527,086 9.46,073 2.15,640 2.03,070 1.11,631 0.66940.2Côtes-d'Armor 125,333 33.090,555 23.951,552 13.646,303 12.240,240 10.610,545 2.86,494 1.75,054 1.32,552 0.79090.2Creuse 26,447 34.017,280 22.212,651 16.310,117 13.06,476 8.31,369 1.81,502 1.91,156 1.5557 0.71950.3Dordogne 83,050 32.159,347 22.944,035 17.035,489 13.720,898 8.15,525 2.14,847 1.93,533 1.41,480 0.66100.2Doubs76,592 26.3 83,036 28.555,921 19.231,936 11.025,639 8.86,847 2.35,364 1.83,445 1.21,882 0.67500.3Drôme72,207 25.0 75,291 26.160,424 21.034,877 12.125,610 8.98,263 2.95,578 1.93,187 1.12,057 0.77590.3Eure82,464 24.7 92,910 27.876,104 22.834,572 10.328,144 8.45,544 1.77,074 2.14,584 1.42,189 0.78900.3Eure-et-Loir60,882 25.7 69,591 29.449,067 20.721,230 9.021,842 9.23,788 1.65,307 2.22,899 1.21,587 0.76220.3Finistère 188,720 33.7136,994 24.567,101 12.064,505 11.563,121 11.316,536 3.09,944 1.88,273 1.53,347 0.61,5310.3Gard100,778 24.1 103,927 24.9 106,646 25.555,731 13.328,893 6.98,855 2.16,087 1.54,215 1.01,946 0.59480.2Haute-Garonne 227,695 32.8158,407 22.8106,161 15.392,798 13.464,648 9.321,069 3.010,601 1.57,672 1.12,839 0.41,7030.2Gers 38,446 31.929,133 24.119,190 15.914,558 12.112,003 9.92,715 2.32,191 1.81,486 1.2646 0.52980.2Gironde 260,043 31.8203,396 24.8127,811 15.696,165 11.779,277 9.719,940 2.413,082 1.613,626 1.73,671 0.41,8950.2Hérault 160,931 26.7152,614 25.3134,343 22.380,036 13.341,351 6.915,223 2.58,462 1.46,221 1.02,397 0.41,3660.2Ille-et-Vilaine 183,935 31.8150,685 26.071,727 12.459,901 10.371,491 12.318,367 3.210,601 1.87,066 1.23,876 0.71,3770.2Indre 41,505 29.933,564 24.227,164 19.515,645 11.312,473 9.02,015 1.53,014 2.21,985 1.41,190 0.93930.3Indre-et-Loire94,210 28.1 94,680 28.253,586 16.036,657 10.934,420 10.37,488 2.26,738 2.04,303 1.32,272 0.79010.3Isère 185,538 27.8166,290 25.0126,377 19.082,657 12.460,608 9.120,189 3.012,658 1.96,846 1.03,450 0.51,7260.3Jura37,910 24.6 39,808 25.831,458 20.419,338 12.514,819 9.63,691 2.43,532 2.32,028 1.31,084 0.74250.3Landes 79,861 32.859,887 24.634,381 14.130,508 12.525,437 10.44,466 1.84,008 1.63,605 1.51,161 0.55160.2Loir-et-Cher49,347 25.0 55,944 28.441,190 20.919,437 9.919,256 9.83,418 1.74,213 2.12,594 1.31,384 0.75180.3Loire 109,122 26.5103,410 25.188,877 21.546,104 11.240,209 9.78,090 2.08,705 2.14,464 1.12,503 0.69390.2Haute-Loire 38,253 26.435,438 24.429,600 20.416,214 11.216,212 11.23,041 2.13,021 2.11,931 1.31,067 0.73220.2Loire-Atlantique 245,708 31.8201,671 26.194,249 12.290,140 11.787,453 11.324,410 3.214,238 1.89,635 1.24,458 0.61,7600.2Loiret90,617 25.5 104,350 29.373,264 20.633,923 9.533,133 9.36,744 1.97,512 2.13,610 1.02,007 0.68850.2Lot 39,369 34.524,447 21.415,376 13.516,400 14.410,648 9.33,046 2.72,212 1.91,650 1.4623 0.52990.3Lot-et-Garonne 52,893 26.949,768 25.342,080 21.422,966 11.717,394 8.93,775 1.93,522 1.82,699 1.4974 0.54610.2Lozère12,579 25.2 13,885 27.88,650 17.36,208 12.45,505 11.01,307 2.6843 1.7647 1.3263 0.51190.2Maine-et-Loire123,534 27.1 136,420 29.963,252 13.942,601 9.358,196 12.810,737 2.410,087 2.26,338 1.43,426 0.81,1820.3Manche82,773 27.0 88,234 28.850,927 16.630,167 9.934,272 11.25,601 1.86,936 2.34,131 1.32,206 0.78820.3Marne71,432 24.1 88,707 29.966,640 22.425,292 8.528,210 9.54,482 1.56,029 2.03,534 1.21,949 0.77120.2Haute-Marne25,970 23.7 30,604 28.027,624 25.39,720 8.98,712 8.01,506 1.42,637 2.41,455 1.3860 0.82650.2Mayenne47,146 25.9 55,945 30.726,930 14.815,136 8.325,118 13.83,864 2.13,897 2.12,392 1.31,415 0.84280.2Meurthe-et-Moselle |108,870 27.994,415 24.282,538 21.247,042 12.133,871 8.77,058 1.87,447 1.94,988 1.32,582 0.71,0920.3Meuse26,313 23.4 29,863 26.629,038 25.89,951 8.810,375 9.21,794 1.62,299 2.01,688 1.5789 0.73440.3Morbihan 130,453 28.3129,838 28.271,715 15.647,220 10.250,050 10.912,948 2.88,548 1.96,300 1.42,818 0.61,2680.3Moselle140,323 24.5 148,328 25.9141,477 24.754,455 9.553,160 9.39,875 1.710,658 1.97,924 1.44,350 0.81,5220.3Nièvre 42,631 32.629,400 22.525,565 19.615,601 11.99,746 7.52,143 1.62,563 2.01,675 1.3934 0.73380.3Nord 383,471 28.0338,714 24.7300,362 21.9173,037 12.6102,511 7.523,976 1.721,160 1.515,138 1.19,545 0.73,1850.2Oise108,574 24.9 115,926 26.6109,339 25.144,057 10.133,160 7.66,598 1.58,505 2.05,338 1.23,391 0.81,0810.2Orne42,159 24.3 51,498 29.634,757 20.015,501 8.918,326 10.53,109 1.84,173 2.42,515 1.41,294 0.74220.2Pas-de-Calais 249,971 29.4185,632 21.9216,753 25.597,974 11.554,354 6.410,315 1.214,122 1.710,948 1.37,246 0.91,8240.2Puy-de-Dôme 122,244 33.179,124 21.457,555 15.651,691 14.036,771 10.07,549 2.06,555 1.84,595 1.22,372 0.69880.3Pyrénées-Atlantiques 117,823 29.992,967 23.647,844 12.246,749 11.961,681 15.711,345 2.95,728 1.56,812 1.71,826 0.58820.2Hautes-Pyrénées 47,983 33.229,512 20.421,580 14.921,934 15.215,265 10.53,007 2.12,376 1.61,967 1.4780 0.53000.2Pyrénées-Orientales 68,593 26.066,870 25.364,007 24.233,739 12.816,608 6.35,564 2.13,652 1.43,265 1.21,305 0.55910.2Bas-Rhin114,702 19.6 196,968 33.6124,264 21.242,302 7.269,940 11.916,188 2.810,141 1.75,993 1.03,779 0.61,6550.3Haut-Rhin76,580 18.9 129,349 31.994,988 23.430,076 7.446,176 11.410,980 2.78,508 2.14,824 1.22,608 0.61,3220.3Rhône237,779 26.9 271,922 30.8133,322 15.194,876 10.791,042 10.325,611 2.915,203 1.77,412 0.84,220 0.52,2640.3Haute-Saône 38,661 26.436,967 25.236,807 25.114,125 9.611,147 7.62,315 1.62,982 2.01,999 1.41,126 0.84070.3Saône-et-Loire 93,198 28.784,499 26.065,054 20.034,548 10.628,683 8.85,435 1.76,588 2.03,971 1.22,048 0.68020.2Sarthe 91,722 28.186,174 26.462,516 19.235,143 10.829,802 9.16,153 1.97,012 2.24,379 1.32,452 0.87490.2Savoie57,469 23.6 69,544 28.645,993 18.927,875 11.524,034 9.98,313 3.45,120 2.12,890 1.21,213 0.56640.3Haute-Savoie82,482 20.5 136,946 34.166,583 16.637,117 9.247,547 11.814,446 3.69,345 2.34,514 1.11,793 0.41,2420.3Paris 345,635 34.8319,482 32.261,503 6.2110,101 11.192,664 9.341,495 4.29,959 1.06,644 0.72,719 0.32,2720.2Seine-Maritime 204,448 29.4174,024 25.0131,416 18.991,759 13.254,446 7.811,356 1.612,445 1.88,918 1.34,918 0.71,6710.2Seine-et-Marne 178,537 27.6176,116 27.3126,889 19.671,097 11.055,187 8.512,684 2.014,055 2.26,584 1.02,995 0.51,6540.3Yvelines196,485 27.3 246,328 34.289,491 12.465,520 9.180,848 11.217,974 2.512,434 1.75,720 0.82,505 0.32,0080.3Deux-Sèvres 73,911 33.355,462 25.030,077 13.622,709 10.224,395 11.04,480 2.04,952 2.23,550 1.61,612 0.75670.3Somme 93,379 28.478,680 23.978,250 23.836,213 11.024,066 7.34,031 1.26,653 2.04,222 1.32,917 0.97260.2Tarn 72,647 30.755,099 23.344,806 18.928,800 12.221,724 9.25,064 2.13,850 1.62,962 1.31,212 0.55500.2Tarn-et-Garonne 40,297 27.636,666 25.132,228 22.116,313 11.212,075 8.32,867 2.02,564 1.81,769 1.2698 0.53670.3Var118,023 19.6 209,233 34.8149,187 24.854,553 9.140,004 6.711,334 1.99,809 1.65,239 0.92,094 0.31,2540.2Vaucluse69,878 22.3 85,898 27.584,585 27.034,879 11.121,070 6.77,062 2.34,679 1.52,981 1.01,207 0.46500.2Vendée101,079 24.8 133,985 32.961,859 15.234,471 8.549,402 12.17,652 1.99,486 2.35,893 1.42,584 0.69730.2Vienne 78,591 32.060,188 24.540,321 16.427,037 11.023,565 9.65,335 2.25,038 2.13,321 1.41,741 0.75530.2Haute-Vienne 78,249 35.943,225 19.835,821 16.431,304 14.417,189 7.93,925 1.83,634 1.72,641 1.21,435 0.75160.2Vosges56,495 24.7 57,964 25.355,339 24.222,162 9.721,516 9.44,026 1.85,450 2.43,573 1.61,716 0.76610.3Yonne46,667 24.0 53,719 27.646,057 23.719,540 10.016,472 8.53,426 1.84,310 2.22,477 1.31,324 0.74840.2Territoire de Belfort 19,484 26.017,891 23.917,786 23.78,547 11.46,630 8.81,516 2.01,343 1.8988 1.3523 0.72150.3Essonne 181,506 30.4152,079 25.590,760 15.273,240 12.355,738 9.314,027 2.320,392 3.45,591 0.92,462 0.41,4560.2Hauts-de-Seine221,233 30.2 256,570 35.062,447 8.575,911 10.378,397 10.720,086 2.79,851 1.35,031 0.72,187 0.31,9390.3Seine-Saint-Denis 206,537 38.7104,010 19.572,335 13.590,710 17.032,661 6.111,781 2.26,978 1.34,936 0.92,708 0.51,2590.2Val-de-Marne 192,781 32.9155,552 26.669,399 11.981,950 14.051,892 8.915,392 2.69,735 1.74,946 0.82,217 0.41,4980.3Val-d'Oise 172,658 32.4139,863 26.383,102 15.663,679 12.044,683 8.410,907 2.09,049 1.75,109 1.02,340 0.41,3250.2French Guiana 15,943 42.610,174 27.23,920 10.52,952 7.92,329 6.2843 2.3416 1.1479 1.3208 0.61480.4French Polynesia29,130 32.4 40,611 45.25,151 5.72,492 2.85,139 5.73,392 3.82,484 2.8532 0.6510 0.63780.4Guadeloupe 82,735 57.033,973 23.47,486 5.27,806 5.46,861 4.72,134 1.51,237 0.91,151 0.81,335 0.94410.3Martinique 76,034 52.038,443 26.36,960 4.88,600 5.98,681 5.92,275 1.61,563 1.11,712 1.21,442 1.05600.4Mayotte13,152 36.6 17,536 48.7996 2.8944 2.61,505 4.2789 2.2395 1.1299 0.8192 0.51750.5New Caledonia22,235 24.9 44,302 49.610,409 11.72,927 3.34,579 5.12,336 2.6833 0.9874 1.0485 0.52790.3Réunion 194,009 53.365,377 18.037,549 10.324,503 6.724,853 6.87,737 2.13,631 1.03,170 0.92,190 0.61,0660.3Saint Martin/Saint Barthélemy2,151 26.8 3,504 43.6975 12.1473 5.9473 5.9208 2.692 1.185 1.144 0.5280.3Saint Pierre and Miquelon 888 33.8488 18.5416 15.8399 15.2194 7.443 1.664 2.4103 3.923 0.9130.5Wallis and Futuna 3,093 48.32,414 37.7152 2.476 1.2410 6.4100 1.643 0.742 0.748 0.7290.5 Total 10,272,70528.63 9,753,62927.18 6,421,42617.90 3,984,82211.10 3,275,1229.13 828,3452.31 643,9071.79 411,1601.15 202,5480.56 89,5450.25 Source: European Election Database https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200112/http://eed.nsd.uib.no/webview/index.jsp?study=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FFIREF1994_Display&node=0&mode=cube&v=2&cube=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfCube%2FFIREF1994_Display_C1&top=yes 24 June 2021 Results by region Region FrançoisHollande NicolasSarkozy MarineLe Pen Jean-LucMélenchon FrançoisBayrou EvaJoly NicolasDupont-Aignan PhilippePoutou NathalieArthaud JacquesCheminade Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Alsace 191,282 19.30 326,317 32.92 219,252 22.12 72,378 7.30 116,116 11.71 27,168 2.74 18,649 1.88 10,817 1.09 6,387 0.64 2,977 0.30 Aquitaine 593,670 31.05 465,365 24.34 296,151 15.49 231,877 12.13 204,687 10.71 45,051 2.36 31,187 1.63 30,275 1.58 9,112 0.48 4,364 0.23 Auvergne 251,981 30.77 192,190 23.47 139,768 17.07 104,710 12.79 81,777 9.99 15,356 1.88 15,274 1.87 10,328 1.26 5,508 0.67 2,007 0.25 Brittany 628,441 31.74 508,072 25.66 262,095 13.24 217,929 11.36 224,902 11.01 58,396 2.95 35,587 1.80 26,693 1.35 12,593 0.64 5,085 0.26 Burgundy 262,817 27.99 250,206 26.65 191,148 20.36 97,185 10.35 81,987 8.73 17,077 1.82 19,101 2.03 11,193 1.19 5,937 0.63 2,318 0.25 Centre 385,169 26.64 403,460 27.90 280,096 19.37 151,971 10.51 137,172 9.49 26,314 1.82 30,609 2.12 17,609 1.22 9,827 0.68 3,752 0.26 Champagne-Ardenne 178,810 24.76 206,031 28.53 172,632 23.91 62,132 8.60 62,048 8.59 10,150 1.41 14,977 2.07 8,602 1.19 4,984 0.69 1,750 0.24 Corsica 39,029 24.28 50,492 31.41 39,209 24.39 15,834 9.85 8,050 5.01 3,678 2.29 1,727 1.07 1,874 1.17 502 0.31 337 0.21 Franche-Comté 172,647 25.89 177,702 26.64 141,972 21.29 73,946 11.09 58,235 8.73 14,369 2.15 13,221 1.98 8,460 1.27 4,615 0.69 1,797 0.27 Île de France 1,695,372 31.75 1,550,000 29.02 655,926 12.28 632,208 11.84 492,070 9.21 144,346 2.70 92,453 1.73 44,561 0.83 20,133 0.38 13,411 0.25 Languedoc-Roussillon 408,664 26.34 384,097 24.76 363,880 23.45 204,170 13.16 105,433 6.80 35,465 2.29 22,228 1.43 17,072 1.10 7,027 0.45 3,482 0.22 Limousin 171,766 38.02 94,211 20.85 69,256 15.33 57,883 12.81 34,489 7.63 7,449 1.65 7,713 1.71 5,378 1.19 2,651 0.59 988 0.22 Lorraine 332,001 25.47 330,570 25.36 308,392 23.66 133,610 10.25 118,922 9.12 22,753 1.75 25,854 1.98 18,173 1.39 9,437 0.72 3,619 0.28 Lower Normandy 242,705 27.54 249,477 28.31 150,810 17.11 88,064 9.99 93,160 10.57 17,279 1.96 19,336 2.19 12,031 1.37 6,141 0.70 2,312 0.26 Midi-Pyrénées 552,933 31.90 397,594 22.94 281,085 16.22 229,282 13.23 165,583 9.55 44,753 2.58 28,335 1.63 21,319 1.23 8,295 0.48 4,173 0.24 Nord-Pas-de-Calais 633,442 28.53 524,346 23.62 517,115 23.29 271,011 12.21 156,865 7.07 34,291 1.54 35,282 1.59 26,086 1.17 16,791 0.76 5,009 0.23 Pays de la Loire 609,189 28.40 614,195 28.63 308,806 14.39 217,491 10.14 249,971 11.65 52,816 2.46 44,720 2.08 28,637 1.33 14,335 0.67 5,092 0.24 Picardy 282,704 26.59 266,696 25.09 266,041 25.03 110,630 10.41 77,121 7.25 14,084 1.32 21,011 1.98 13,420 1.26 8,798 0.83 2,545 0.24 Poitou-Charentes 329,014 31.17 270,372 25.61 173,595 16.45 112,766 10.68 100,802 9.55 22,036 2.09 22,168 2.10 15,347 1.45 6,974 0.66 2,531 0.24 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 600,742 22.05 846,367 31.06 650,336 23.87 306,088 11.23 182,178 6.69 59,009 2.17 41,443 1.52 23,107 0.85 9,493 0.35 5,886 0.22 Rhône-Alpes 869,849 25.45 968,812 28.35 628,332 18.38 382,651 11.20 340,073 9.95 97,801 2.86 67,707 1.98 35,386 1.04 18,287 0.53 8,975 0.26 Upper Normandy 286,912 27.86 266,934 25.92 207,520 20.15 126,331 12.27 82,590 8.02 16,900 1.64 19,519 1.90 13,502 1.31 7,107 0.69 2,561 0.25 French Guiana 15,943 42.61 10,174 27.20 3,920 10.48 2,952 7.89 2,329 6.23 843 2.25 416 1.11 479 1.28 208 0.56 148 0.40 French Polynesia 29,130 32.43 40,611 45.21 5,151 5.73 2,492 2.77 5,139 5.72 3,392 3.78 2,484 2.77 532 0.59 510 0.57 378 0.42 Guadeloupe 82,735 57.00 33,973 23.40 7,486 5.16 7,806 5.38 6,861 4.73 2,134 1.47 1,237 0.85 1,151 0.79 1,335 0.92 441 0.30 Martinique 76,034 51.98 38,443 26.28 6,960 4.76 8,600 5.88 8,681 5.93 2,275 1.56 1,563 1.07 1,712 1.17 1,442 0.99 560 0.38 Mayotte 13,152 36.55 17,536 48.73 996 2.77 944 2.62 1,505 4.18 789 2.19 395 1.10 299 0.83 192 0.53 175 0.49 New Caledonia 22,235 24.91 44,302 49.63 10,409 11.66 2,927 3.28 4,579 5.13 2,336 2.62 833 0.93 874 0.98 485 0.54 279 0.31 Réunion 194,009 53.29 65,377 17.96 37,549 10.31 24,503 6.73 24,853 6.83 7,737 2.13 3,631 1.00 3,170 0.87 2,190 0.60 1,066 0.29 Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin 2,151 26.78 3,504 43.62 975 12.14 473 5.89 473 5.89 208 2.59 92 1.15 85 1.06 44 0.55 28 0.35 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 888 33.75 488 18.55 416 15.81 399 15.17 194 7.37 43 1.63 64 2.43 103 3.91 23 0.87 13 0.49 Wallis and Futuna 3,093 48.28 2,414 37.68 152 2.37 76 1.19 410 6.40 100 1.56 43 0.67 42 0.66 48 0.75 29 0.45 Total 10,272,705 28.63 9,753,629 27.18 6,421,426 17.90 3,984,822 11.10 3,275,122 9.13 828,345 2.31 643,907 1.79 411,160 1.15 202,548 0.56 89,545 0.25 Source: European Election Database https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200112/http://eed.nsd.uib.no/webview/index.jsp?study=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FFIREF1994_Display&node=0&mode=cube&v=2&cube=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfCube%2FFIREF1994_Display_C1&top=yes 24 June 2021 Second round thumb|right|Second Round 2007–2012 Swing by Departement #FFF0F0 Swing #0000FF +21% Sarkozy #FFD5D5 +2-4% Hollande #FFAAAA +4-6% Hollande #FF5555 +6-8% Hollande #FF2A2A +8-10% Hollande #D40000 +10-12% Hollande #800000 +12-14% Hollande #550000 +>14% Hollande Tables Results by department Department François Hollande Nicolas Sarkozy Votes % Votes %Ain131,36542.78% 175,706 57.22%Aisne 147,260 52.40%133,76047.60%Allier 111,615 56.89%84,59343.11%Alpes-de-Haute-Provence 49,498 51.06%47,44448.94%Hautes-Alpes 42,624 50.91%41,09849.09%Alpes-Maritimes203,70835.77% 365,813 64.23%Ardèche 101,526 53.45%88,42946.55%Ardennes 75,630 51.89%70,11948.11%Ariège 59,466 64.69%32,45235.31%Aube65,54842.63% 88,210 57.37%Aude 115,398 56.24%89,79343.76%Aveyron 95,297 54.42%79,80245.58%Bouches-du-Rhône474,70447.17% 531,652 52.83%Calvados 205,525 53.11%181,42346.89%Cantal 49,543 51.80%46,09748.20%Charente 118,100 58.83%82,64841.17%Charente-Maritime 188,387 51.57%176,94448.43%Cher 92,857 54.04%78,95945.96%Corrèze 98,764 64.86%53,50235.14%Corse-du-Sud30,79142.40% 41,834 57.60%Haute-Corse39,35745.59% 46,965 54.41%Côte-d'Or134,92948.45% 143,559 51.55%Côtes-d'Armor 217,604 59.19%150,03540.81%Creuse 45,870 61.02%29,30638.98%Dordogne 148,011 59.14%102,28040.86%Doubs134,56848.09% 145,269 51.91%Drôme134,95949.18% 139,436 50.82%Eure151,32747.55% 166,949 52.45%Eure-et-Loir105,67646.53% 121,452 53.47%Finistère 319,304 58.87%223,11541.13%Gard193,48748.80% 202,995 51.20%Haute-Garonne 388,811 58.78%272,68341.22%Gers 65,605 56.64%50,22143.36%Gironde 448,634 56.61%343,86643.39%Hérault 296,422 51.31%281,24048.69%Ille-et-Vilaine 309,763 55.71%246,30344.29%Indre 73,616 55.66%58,64344.34%Indre-et-Loire 165,293 51.23%157,37448.77%Isère 331,448 52.12%304,42947.88%Jura72,32149.42% 74,004 50.58%Landes 134,872 56.99%101,79243.01%Loir-et-Cher89,18247.57% 98,275 52.43%Loire 196,522 50.50%192,62149.50%Haute-Loire 70,488 51.38%66,70348.62%Loire-Atlantique 419,484 56.35%324,89343.65%Loiret156,28945.97% 183,671 54.03%Lot 67,981 61.89%41,86238.11%Lot-et-Garonne 96,766 51.35%91,66348.65%Lozère23,99149.95% 24,036 50.05%Maine-et-Loire213,61148.85% 223,644 51.15%Manche147,00549.90% 147,590 50.10%Marne126,15544.69% 156,159 55.31%Haute-Marne46,96545.57% 56,085 54.43%Mayenne81,92246.93% 92,647 53.07%Meurthe-et-Moselle 196,628 53.06%173,92946.94%Meuse48,86046.20% 56,898 53.80%Morbihan 229,248 51.73%213,89348.27%Moselle253,37146.52% 291,278 53.48%Nièvre 73,424 58.81%51,42141.19%Nord 692,273 52.88%616,88247.12%Oise195,70147.34% 217,732 52.66%Orne77,57947.11% 87,087 52.89%Pas-de-Calais 450,103 56.18%351,01543.82%Puy-de-Dôme 212,750 60.46%139,14539.54%Pyrénées-Atlantiques 218,964 57.12%164,37442.88%Hautes-Pyrénées 86,803 62.47%52,15437.53%Pyrénées-Orientales 127,625 50.59%124,66849.41%Bas-Rhin206,89136.56% 359,011 63.44%Haut-Rhin142,72436.67% 246,527 63.33%Rhône408,89947.98% 443,370 52.02%Haute-Saône68,65349.64% 69,658 50.36%Saône-et-Loire 160,751 51.86%149,24348.14%Sarthe 162,975 52.67%146,45447.33%Savoie108,69147.07% 122,228 52.93%Haute-Savoie154,62239.90% 232,928 60.10%Paris 560,461 55.60%447,50044.40%Seine-Maritime 366,616 54.94%300,65745.06%Seine-et-Marne315,56649.25% 325,147 50.75%Yvelines333,05745.70% 395,697 54.30%Deux-Sèvres 122,858 57.31%91,52742.69%Somme 170,529 54.41%142,89445.59%Tarn 125,132 55.55%100,10944.45%Tarn-et-Garonne 71,186 51.25%67,70548.75%Var217,38337.36% 364,467 62.64%Vaucluse130,27843.57% 168,753 56.43%Vendée173,71744.41% 217,449 55.59%Vienne 134,875 57.15%101,13842.85%Haute-Vienne 133,467 63.99%75,09536.01%Vosges105,37149.06% 109,404 50.94%Yonne86,61046.88% 98,122 53.12%Territoire de Belfort 35,865 50.52%35,12149.48%Essonne 317,663 53.43%276,85946.57%Hauts-de-Seine369,12849.48% 376,816 50.52%Seine-Saint-Denis 353,260 65.32%187,56234.68%Val-de-Marne 333,347 56.48%256,90043.52%Val-d'Oise 289,520 53.91%247,54146.09%French Guiana 25,880 62.05%15,83037.95%French Polynesia50,09746.74% 57,080 53.26%Guadeloupe 123,821 71.94%48,29228.06%Martinique 114,527 68.43%52,82931.57%Mayotte18,94849.06% 19,677 50.94%New Caledonia36,23936.97% 61,772 63.03%Réunion 286,109 71.49%114,12028.51%Saint Martin/Saint Barthélemy3,85140.57% 5,641 59.43%Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2,080 65.31%1,10534.69% Wallis and Futuna 3,795 56.06%2,97443.94%Total 18,000,668 51.64% 16,860,685 48.36%Source: European Election Database https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200112/http://eed.nsd.uib.no/webview/index.jsp?study=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FFIREF1994_Display&node=0&mode=cube&v=2&cube=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfCube%2FFIREF1994_Display_C1&top=yes 24 June 2021 Results by region Region François Hollande Nicolas Sarkozy Votes % Votes %Alsace349,61536.60% 605,538 63.40%Aquitaine 1,047,247 56.57%803,97543.43%Auvergne 444,396 56.91%336,53843.09%Brittany 1,075,919 56.35%833,34643.65%Burgundy 455,714 50.74%442,34549.26%Centre682,91349.44% 698,374 50.56%Champagne-Ardenne314,29845.89% 370,573 54.11%Corsica70,14844.13% 88,799 55.87%Franche-Comté311,40749.01% 324,052 50.99%Île de France 2,872,002 53.32%2,514,02246.68%Languedoc-Roussillon 756,923 51.16%722,73248.84%Limousin 278,101 63.78%157,90336.22%Lorraine604,23048.90% 631,509 51.10%Lower Normandy 430,109 50.83%416,10049.17%Midi-Pyrénées 960,281 57.94%696,98842.06%Nord-Pas-de-Calais 1,142,376 54.13%967,89745.87%Pays de la Loire 1,051,709 51.13%1,005,08748.87%Picardy513,490 50.95%494,38649.05%Poitou-Charentes 564,220 55.51%452,25744.49%Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur1,118,19542.40% 1,519,227 57.60%Rhône-Alpes1,568,03247.99% 1,699,147 52.01%Upper Normandy 517,943 52.55%467,60647.45%French Guiana 25,880 62.05%15,83037.95%French Polynesia50,09746.74% 57,080 53.26%Guadeloupe 123,821 71.94%48,29228.06%Martinique 114,527 68.43%52,82931.57%Mayotte18,94849.06% 19,677 50.94%New Caledonia36,23936.97% 61,772 63.03%Réunion 286,109 71.49%114,12028.51%Saint Martin/Saint Barthélemy3,85140.57% 5,641 59.43%Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2,080 65.31%1,10534.69% Wallis and Futuna 3,795 56.06%2,97443.94%French overseas voters206,05346.94% 232,964 53.06%Total 18,000,668 51.64%16,860,68548.36% Source: European Election Database https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200112/http://eed.nsd.uib.no/webview/index.jsp?study=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FFIREF1994_Display&node=0&mode=cube&v=2&cube=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfCube%2FFIREF1994_Display_C1&top=yes 24 June 2021 Reactions Sarkozy called for UMP to "stay together. We must win the battle of the legislatives" and said that "in this new era, I will remain one of you, but my place will no longer be the same. My engagement with the life of my country will now be different, but time will never strain the bonds between us." Hollande then spoke at a victory rally in Tulle where he said: To those who haven't voted for me, let them know that I hear them, and that I will be president to all. There is one France, united in the same destiny. We will never be apart, how beautiful life is tonight! He then travelled to Paris, where supporters of the Socialist Party gathered outside the headquarters.http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/05/201256172746159731.html Hollande wins French presidency – Europe Al Jazeera English 4 October 2011 6 May 2012 He also said that "Europe is watching us. Austerity isn't inevitable. My mission now is to give European construction a growth dimension."Fouquet Helene https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-06/hollande-defeats-sarkozy-in-shift-of-power-to-french-socialists.html Hollande Vows to Fight Austerity After Beating Sarkozy Bloomberg 7 May 2012 7 May 2012 International reactions Andorra – In electing the President of France, French citizens had also elected one of the two heads of state of Andorra. Prime Minister Antoni Martí congratulated François Hollande, expressing his confidence both in the continuation of the "excellent" relationship between Andorra and France, and in Hollande's awareness of the importance of his role as Co-Prince of Andorra. Jaume Bartumeu, of Andorra's Social Democratic Party (in opposition), described Hollande's victory as "the beginning of the resurgence of social democracy in Europe"."Copríncep Hollande" https://web.archive.org/web/20130920083559/http://www.diariandorra.ad/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=19913 20 September 2013 , Diari Andorra, 7 May 2012"Martí felicita Hollande per la victòria i ofereix la seva col·laboració per continuar estrenyent els lligams" https://web.archive.org/web/20140911112600/http://www.diariandorra.ad/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=19922 11 September 2014 , Diari Andorra, 7 May 2012 Belgium – Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo welcomed the election of his "friend", adding: "François Hollande's proposals on economic growth [...] will have a positive impact for all Europeans and on European authorities"."Dans le monde, des félicitations plus ou moins chaleureuses", Libération, 8 May 2012 Denmark – Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt congratulated Hollande for his win. Germany – Chancellor Angela Merkel sent her congratulations to Hollande and said that she and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle "agreed to discuss the kind of growth pact that Hollande has championed."abcnews.go.com September 2019 InternetArchiveBot yes Italy – Prime Minister Mario Monti congratulated François Hollande, saying he looked forward to a "close collaboration" within the European framework, the aim of which would be "an ever-more efficient union with economic growth as its objective". He added that the results of the French and Greek elections required thinking about European policies, adding that in his view public spending should be concentrated on "productive investments" and avoid increasing debts. Spain – Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy expressed congratulations, saying he looked forward to "fruitful bilateral and Europeans relations" with the new president. United Kingdom – Prime Minister David Cameron congratulated François Hollande and said he looked forward to the two countries maintaining their "very close relationship". Opposition Leader Ed Miliband applauded Hollande's "determination to help create a Europe focused on growth and job creation, in a responsible and sustainable manner. [...] We are in great need of this new direction as Europe seeks to escape from austerity. I'm impatient to work with him in the months and years to come". United States – President Barack Obama congratulated Hollande for his victory and invited him to the White House. See also President of France Politics of France French presidential elections under the Fifth Republic References Further reading Baujard, Antoinette, et al. "Who's favored by evaluative voting? An experiment conducted during the 2012 French presidential election." Electoral Studies 34 (2014): 131–145. Online Beaudonnet, Laurie, and Pavlos Vasilopoulos. "Green parties in hard times: The case of EELV in the 2012 French presidential election." Party Politics 20.2 (2014): 275–285. Bélanger, Éric, et al. "Patrimony and French presidential vote choice: Evidence from the 2012 election." French Politics 12.1 (2014): 59–68. OnlineJanuary 2025 medicmedic Online Choi, Yun Son, and William L. Benoit. "A functional analysis of the 2007 and 2012 French Presidential debates." Journal of Intercultural Communication Research 42.3 (2013): 215–227. Clift, Ben. "Le changement? French socialism, the 2012 presidential election and the politics of economic credibility amidst the eurozone crisis." Parliamentary affairs 66.1 (2013): 106–123. Online Evans, J. and G. Ivaldi, eds. The 2012 French Presidential Elections: The Inevitable Alternation (2013) excerpt Nadeau, Richard, and Michael S. Lewis-Beck. "French election theory: Why Sarkozy lost." Parliamentary Affairs 66.1 (2013): 52–68. Perrineau, Pascal, ed. The 2012 French Election: How the Electorate Decided (2016) excerpt Theviot, Anaïs. "Towards a standardization of campaign strategies dictated by the Obama ‘model’? The case of ‘American-style’ canvassing during the 2012 French presidential election campaign." French Politics 14.2 (2016): 158–177. OnlineJanuary 2025 medicmedic Vassallo, Francesca. "The EU discourse in the 2012 French presidential election." French Politics, Culture & Society 30.3 (2012): 79–95. External links France Andorra Politics The Constitutional council's duties relating to the presidential election Opinion poll tracker with data NSD: European Election Database – France https://web.archive.org/web/20170224133032/http://www.nsd.uib.no/european_election_database/country/france/ 24 February 2017 publishes regional level election data; allows for comparisons of election results, 1990–2012 A clickable map showing elections results by region, department, and commune on the website of L'Humanité France Category:Presidential elections in France Category:2012 in French politics