French president 

(MENAFN - Arab News) In the recently concluded French presidential elections, the victory of Francois Hollande over Nicolas Sarkozy hasn't surprised the world as throughout the campaigning, Hollande was leading in most opinion polls.

Also, the high voter turn-out (81 percent) has immensely helped Hollande to win this crucial election, which is not only important for the history of France but also for the entire European Union (EU). It is believed that Sarkozy's policies and lifestyle had greatly annoyed the French people, who wanted a more sober presidency. During his campaigns in the last presidential elections, Sarkozy had promised reforms to get France out of the economic crisis. However, he hardly lived up to his promises.

One of the important outcomes of this election is that after 17 years, French voters selected a socialist president to control their country.

The French presidential elections have always been keenly watched by political observers world over as France is the second most important economy of the EU, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and an important nation with good economic ties with the GCC countries and India. Hollande is expected to take all appropriate measures to improve the economic conditions of France and regain some prestige to the country.