François Hollande
François Hollande is a French politician who served as president of France from 2012 to 2017 and led the Socialist Party from 1997 to 2008.
2015 Île-de-France attacks: A series of coordinated terrorist attacks in the Paris region in January 2015 that killed 17 people. The attacks prompted Hollande’s government to declare a state of emergency and intensify counterterrorism measures.
Ségolène Royal: A French politician who was the Socialist Party’s presidential candidate in 2007 and served as minister of ecology. Royal was Hollande’s partner for many years and his party’s presidential nominee before his own presidency.
President of France: The head of state of the French Republic, elected by direct universal suffrage since 1965. This office defined Hollande’s executive authority and public role from 2012 to 2017.
Marine Le Pen: A French politician who led the National Front, later renamed National Rally, and ran for president in 2012, 2017, and 2022. Hollande’s presidency unfolded amid the rise of Le Pen’s nationalist opposition.
November 2015 Paris attacks: A coordinated series of terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015, that killed 130 people. Hollande declared a state of emergency and expanded military operations after the attacks.
Nicolas Sarkozy: A French politician who served as president of France from 2007 to 2012. Hollande defeated Sarkozy in the 2012 presidential runoff, ending Sarkozy’s single term.
French Socialist Party: A French social-democratic political party founded in 1969. Hollande led the party for eleven years before winning the presidency.
François Fillon: A French conservative politician who served as prime minister from 2007 to 2012 and ran for president in 2017. Fillon represented the center-right alternative in the election that followed Hollande’s presidency.
El Khomri law: A 2016 French labor law that changed rules governing working hours, layoffs, and collective bargaining. Its passage under Hollande triggered major protests and deepened divisions within the left.
Manuel Valls: A French politician who served as prime minister from 2014 to 2016 under François Hollande. Valls led Hollande’s government through disputes over economic policy and the El Khomri law.