François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande is a French politician born on August 12, 1954. Prior to his presidency, he served as First Secretary of the Socialist Party from 1997 to 2008, Mayor of Tulle from 2001 to 2008, and President of the General Council of Corrèze from 2008 to 2012.
Hollande's early political career began as a special advisor to President François Mitterrand, before working as a staffer for Max Gallo, the government's spokesman. He became a member of the National Assembly in 1988 and was elected First Secretary of the PS in 1997.
In 2008, Hollande resigned as First Secretary and was elected to replace Jean-Pierre Dupont as President of the General Council of Corrèze. In 2011, he announced his candidacy in the primary election to select the PS presidential nominee, winning against Martine Aubry. He was then elected to the presidency in 2012, defeating incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy.
During his tenure, Hollande legalized same-sex marriage, reformed labor laws, and signed a law restricting the cumul des mandats. He also withdrew French forces from Afghanistan and concluded an EU directive on animal protection.
Hollande faced significant challenges during his presidency, including the Paris attacks in 2015 and 2016, as well as the 2016 Nice attack. He was a proponent of EU mandatory migrant quotas and NATO's military intervention in Libya. He also sent troops to Mali and the Central African Republic with UN approval.
Under Hollande's presidency, Paris hosted the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference and successfully bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. However, his approval ratings suffered due to domestic troubles and unemployment, making him the most unpopular head of state under the Fifth Republic.
On December 1, 2016, Hollande announced he would not seek reelection in the 2017 presidential election, which polls suggested he would lose in the first round.
