France has a new leader after Socialist challenger Francois Hollande beat conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in the French presidential election Sunday.
Final results Monday show Mr. Hollande won 51.6 percent of the vote to Mr. Sarkozy's 48.4 percent in Sunday's runoff election. French media say the outgoing president will officially hand over power on May 15.
The vote reflected citizens' disapproval of the country's spending cuts and high unemployment. The outgoing president said he takes responsibility for the election loss.
Mr. Hollande opposes many of the tough economic austerity measures in France. He will be the first left-wing French leader in almost 20 years.
Mr. Hollande is regarded as a mild-mannered career politician. He has promised to move quickly to implement a traditional socialist tax-and-spend program with higher taxes on the rich to help finance increased state spending.
He also is expected to try to renegotiate European Union-imposed austerity measures.
U.S. President Barack Obama telephoned his congratulations to Mr. Hollande Sunday and invited him to the White House before the G-8 and NATO summits later this month.
法国选出新领导人。社会党人奥朗德在星期天的总统决选中击败保守派的现任总统萨科齐，成为法国新总统。
星期一获得的最后结果显示，星期天的总统决选中，奥朗德赢得了51.6%的选票，萨科奇的得票率为48.4%。法国媒体说，现任总统将于5月15日正式将权力移交给新总统。
这次投票反映出选民对开支削减计划和高失业率感到不满。现任总统萨科奇说， 他接受选举失败的责任。
奥朗德反对在法国实施的很多严厉经济紧缩措施。他将成为法国将近20年来的首位左翼领导人。
奥朗德在民众眼中是一位举止温和的职业政治家。他承诺尽快执行社会党传统的税收与开支计划，增加富人税收，以助增加国家开支提供资金。
预计他还将试图就欧盟强制执行的财政紧缩措施进行重新谈判。
美国总统奥巴马星期天通过电话向奥朗德表示祝贺，并邀请他在本月晚些时候举行的工业8国首脑会议和北约峰会之前到白宫作客。
