Hollande wins in France and that's good for Brazil.
The victory of socialist François Hollande represents a vote for change in Europe against the austerity policies led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel; Dilma gains an ally on the international stage; reporting live from Paris by Roberta Namour, correspondent for 247.
Roberta Namour – 247 correspondent in Paris – François Hollande has been elected the new president of the Fifth Republic of France. Confirming the trend in the polls since the beginning of the campaign, the socialist left the worn-out incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy behind. This Sunday, May 6, 2012, the majority of the French opted for a break with the right-wing system, which lasted 17 years, to bet on a France more consistent with its philosophy of 'liberty, equality, fraternity'.
After more than 30 years behind the scenes of the political scene, Hollande became the PS candidate by defeating his ex-wife and the party's 2007 presidential candidate, Ségolène Royal, in the October primaries.
In the context of a worrying economic crisis, Hollande won the trust of the French people with a program that advocates a tax reform that increases the contribution of the wealthiest. Furthermore, he promised the creation of 150 new jobs in the new technology sector and another 60 in education. Regarding immigrants, he raised a banner opposite to that of Nicolas Sarkozy, who advocated closing the country's borders.
For Europe, the socialist victory signifies the rupture of the Franco-German marriage. François Hollande assumed the role of leader of a European anti-austerity movement from the outset. He even promised to call German Chancellor Angela Merkel tonight to formalize France's new stance on the fiscal pact. With the support of Greece, Spain, and even Italy, the new French president promises to fight for the idea that to rediscover growth, one cannot simply save without investing. Rigid targets generate exclusion and, consequently, go against the motto of the European Union.
From this perspective, Hollande becomes a great ally of President Dilma Rousseff on the international stage. In several statements and during her recent visit to Germany, Dilma harshly criticized the austerity policies led by Angela Merkel and attacked the "expansionary policies that provoke a veritable 'monetary tsunami,' which led to a 'currency war' and introduced new and perverse forms of protectionism in the world."