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This article analyses Hollandes presidential election campaign and victory of 2012, placing them in the historical, organisational and ideological context of French Socialism and the French party system. It argues that an effective campaign, an unpopular adversary and a French party system context unusually conducive to pooling the Lefts electoral resources akin to 1981 all aided Hollandes cause. Despite limited ideological renewal, Hollandes internal party coalition promised a scaled-up reformism in the areas of finance, redistributive taxation and ambitious ‘reindustrialisation’ policies. However, the eurozone crisis and degraded French public finances will hinder prospects for such growth-oriented political economic change.
