Hollande's presidency begins with whirlwind day in Paris

Hollande left the presidential palace less than two hours after he arrived, continuing his inauguration marathon by driving the Champs-Elysées avenue up to the Arc de Triomphe, where he put a floral wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a historical monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War I. A soaked Hollande then walked toward a crowd of supporters to shake the hands of those who were there in spite of the heavy rain.

Student excitement

The next event, a speech on education and a tribute to world-renowned French scientist Marie Curie, was seen as a sign that Hollande would aim to boost education and research during his five-year term.

In his second speech of the day at Tuileries park, Hollande addressed dozens of students near a statue of Jules Ferry, a 19th-century minister of public instruction who is considered the father of France’s free, secular public education system. He emphasized his commitment to education for all, regardless of  family wealth, and reiterated his campaign promise to add 60,000 jobs in the education sector – a pledge which pleased the education community, which was unhappy with some of Sarkozy's education reforms. 

Teachers tried, with limited success, to keep students calms as they waited for Hollande's arrival. Many took videos and photographs with their cell phones and waved at reporters' cameras excitedly. As the students saw the presidential car pull up about 150 feet away from the stage, they jumped up on their chairs, hoping to catch a glimpse of the president. 

Milarépa Traoré-Peluso, a middle school student, said ahead of the speech that he felt privileged that his class was chosen to attend the event. “It’s a fairly important day,” he said. “I guess not everybody has the opportunity to see the president from so close.”

The speech resonated with the crowd. Gilbert Rochelimagne, a literature teacher at a Paris middle school, said he liked the president's words, particularly the fact that he mentioned Ferry, the founder of the French school system. “That was well put,” Mr. Rochelimagne said of Hollande’s words. “He knows how to speak.”

For his last appearance of the day on French soil, Hollande went to the Paris City Council, where he met with Bertrand Delanoë, the Socialist mayor of the French capital. Hundreds of Parisians had converged to a square outside the building, hoping to see the new president and his partner Valérie Trierweiler.

Paris resident Brigitte Alvin said she was happy to be there even though she only saw Hollande from afar. “I am delighted that he is here,” Ms. Alvin said. “I wanted to see his face.”

Asked why she decided to come, she replied, “To share my happiness. I just wanted to be here.” 

Hollande's visit to Berlin this evening will be closely watched. He has received significant attention for his break with Sarkozy on the German-led austerity drive in the eurozone. Sarkozy was a strong backer of the German approach; Hollande has been critical of its singular focus on spending cuts. 

He repeatedly said during the campaign that he would ask European Union countries to renegotiate a fiscal compact on budgetary discipline that was approved earlier this year by requesting provisions for stimulating economic growth. Merkel publicly opposes this option.

It is not unusual for the French president to choose Berlin for his first trip abroad – it has become a tradition of the Franco-German relationship that has been built since World War II. 

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