France inaugurated new President François Hollande on Tuesday following his election victory earlier this month. Hollande won the vote on a wave of anti-austerity sentiment, making him the first Socialist party member to lead France since 1995. In his inaugural address, Hollande vowed to tackle France’s economic woes.
President Hollande: “I am assessing even today the weight of the obligations which our country faces: massive debt, weak growth, high unemployment, damaged competitivity, and a Europe which is struggling to recover from economic crisis. But I declare right now that nothing is fated. From now, a collective and unanimous will, a clear and fixed direction.”