The French Socialist Party chose the head of a rural region who has distanced himself from radical leftist policies as its candidate for next year's presidential election, suggesting that the confrontation with center-right President Nicolas Sarkozy will be a duel of styles more than a clash of ideas.
François Hollande, who has said he would aim to fulfill the French people's yearning for "a normal president"—a far cry from the often hyperkinetic Mr. Sarkozy—garnered 56% of the nearly 3 million votes cast in Sunday's primary election, according to preliminary results.
The Socialist Party head, Martine Aubry, collected 44% of the votes, the party said. Although the party was still counting ballots Sunday evening, Ms. Aubry acknowledged her defeat.
"Our candidate has a name: François Hollande," Ms. Aubry said. "It's time to unite behind him."
Next spring's presidential election is expected to revolve chiefly around how to fix France's finances—amid concerns that the country is being contaminated by the sovereign-debt crisis roiling Greece.
Yet, both Mr. Hollande and the government of Mr. Sarkozy have pledged to gradually reduce the budget deficit to 3% of gross domestic product in 2013, in line with EU rules, from 7.1% in 2010. Mr. Hollande has vowed to recruit as many as 60,000 teachers if he is elected president but said the extra costs would have to be offset by spending cuts.
Constrained by budget straightjackets, Mr. Hollande and Mr. Sarkozy, who is widely expected to seek a second mandate in 2012, are unlikely to compete with costly government-sponsored projects, a traditional sport in elections here. As a result, French voters are likely to focus on the candidates' personalities and credentials.
The 57-year-old Mr. Hollande, a former Socialist Party chief and head of the Corrèze, a sparsely populated region in central France, has never held a position in government.
A graduate of Ecole Nationale d'Administration, France's elite school for civil servants, his political career took off in 1981 when, as an economic adviser to then Socialist President François Mitterrand, he contributed to the implementation of a plan to nationalize the country's biggest companies and banks.
Mr. Hollande, often seen riding a scooter around Paris and known for his sense of humor, has said his goal would be to heal rifts in France and turn a page on what he described as Mr. Sarkozy's "divisive" style.
"Mr. Hollande wants to embody a calm, reassuring alternative to Mr. Sarkozy," said Bruno Cautrès, a professor at the Sciences Po University in Paris. "Posing as the father of the nation is essential to win elections in France."
Mr. Hollande's approach is reminiscent of that of Mr. Mitterrand, who presented himself as "the quiet force" when he ran for re-election and won in 1988.
Since he took office in 2007, Mr. Sarkozy has often lashed out at segments of the population—labor unions for their resistance to change, magistrates for their lack of severity and journalists for alleged sympathy for the left.
In recent months, however, Mr. Sarkozy has adopted a more consensual approach and promoted his role in coordinating a European response to the financial crisis.
This summer, Mr. Hollande received unexpected support from former conservative president Jacques Chirac, a member of Mr. Sarkozy's ruling UMP party. A television crew caught Mr. Chirac saying that he intended to vote for Mr. Hollande in the 2012 presidential election.
A person close to Mr. Chirac later said the comment amounted to "Corrèze-style humor," referring to the constituency in central France where both Messrs. Chirac and Hollande have roots.
On Sunday, most Socialist leaders vowed to rally behind the winner of the primaries, including Ségolène Royal, Mr. Hollande's former partner and the mother of their four children, who lost against Mr. Sarkozy in the 2007 election.
"Our candidate has garnered a great legitimacy," Ms. Royal said.
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