François Hollande, 57, was the favourite: the former leader of the Socialist Party and former partner of Ségolène Royal, as well as the most mainstream candidate within the party, wins the French center-left primary with the 39% of the votes.
Behind him Martine Aubry with 31%. Neither of them has reached an absolute majority of votes, so it will go to ballot next Sunday. Third Arnaud Montebourg, with a surprising 17 percent of the vote. Ségolène Royal stopped at 7%, then Manuel Valls with 5% and Jean-Michel Baylet with 1%.
Hollande has been recognized as the leader both from the left of the party and from the - rather minority - part which has more moderate and centrist positions. Martine Aubry, on the other hand, is 60 years old and is the mayor of Lille and current leader of the Socialist Party. She is known for having more left positions, has promised to strengthen the controversial law on 35 working hours, which she promoted as minister in 1997 and which has since been greatly softened and diluted.
Meanwhile, the success of the primaries should be recorded: over one and a half million voters in polling stations throughout France. According to the party secretariat, this figure "goes beyond the wildest expectations".
