Top 60 François Hollande Quotes (2024 Update)

1. “I say it firmly: France will remain the country of liberty, of movements, of culture. An active, valiant, dynamic country.”

— François Hollande

2. “I am proud to have been capable of giving people hope again.”

— François Hollande

3. “I commit myself to serve my country.”

— François Hollande

4. “The German-French friendship is indispensable for Europe. And I will never let myself be carried away to making statements that would change it.”

— François Hollande

5. “There cannot be prosperity without security.”

— François Hollande

6. “Mitterrand had a sense for symbols, and he was the first Socialist president since 1958. He wanted to show that there is historical continuity, a connection with the great figures of French history.”

— François Hollande

7. “Terrorism fuels itself from all kinds of illicit trafficking: drugs, weapons, human beings.”

— François Hollande

8. “I am attached to the French language. I will defend the ubiquitous use of French.”

— François Hollande

9. “I am for a clear distinction between public and private life. I believe private matters should be regulated in private and I have asked those close to me to respect this.”

— François Hollande

10. “We have chased away the clouds, the sky is all ‘rose.’”

— François Hollande

11. “Nothing was given to me, nothing was entrusted to me, nothing was assigned to me. Everything I have, I took by right.”

— François Hollande

12. “My real adversary has no name, no face, no party. It will never be elected, yet it governs – the adversary is the world of finance.”

— François Hollande

13. “I won’t wait until the end of my term to say I made mistakes at the beginning. That’s too late. I will try to adopt the proper behaviour, if the French give me the chance, right from the start.”

— François Hollande

14. “Before you, I engage myself to serve my country with the devotion and the exemplary that this post demands. I understand responsibilities of the job and, as such, I give a republican salute to Nicolas Sarkozy who has led France for 5 years and who deserves all of our respect.”

— François Hollande

15. “Symbols mean a lot in politics. They indicate a will and create new realities.”

— François Hollande

16. “Mandela’s message will never die. It will continue to inspire freedom fighters and give confidence to people who defend just causes and universal rights.”

— François Hollande

17. “The transatlantic relationship is vital for both our countries: France will remain a reliable ally of the United States. Nevertheless, ally does not mean aligned.”

— François Hollande

18. “My dear citizens, fellow citizens, French people, this 6th of May, have just chosen change by bringing me the presidency of the French republic. I feel the honor, which has been given to me and the task, the important task faced beyond – in front of you to serve my country.”

— François Hollande

19. “I could have made a fortune in cheeseburgers, but I finally chose politics.”

— François Hollande

20. “I’m going to gather all the French people who want change.”

— François Hollande

21. “To me, it’s important to preserve proximity to the people. I wouldn’t do anything pretentious, and nothing that hurts the people who voted for me. Triumphalism isn’t my thing.”

— François Hollande

22. “Germany and France are pinning their hopes on young people, in terms of education, science and innovation.”

— François Hollande

23. “That is now my mission: to provide a European vision of growth, employment, prosperity – in one word, our future.”

— François Hollande

24. “Europe needs an engine, and the Franco-German motor has provided that when the two nations have converged on important topics during critical periods. But that partnership shouldn’t be a directorate for other EU members.”

— François Hollande

25. “I don’t like indecent, unearned wealth. But it is legitimate for an entrepreneur who has created something to make a good living.”

— François Hollande

26. “Between France and Senegal there’s a history. There’s a language that we both speak. There’s a culture that we share and to which both of our peoples have contributed. But beyond our history, beyond our language, beyond the links that have united us for so long, what unites us today is the future.”

— François Hollande

27. “If we don’t manage to find not just a compromise but a lasting peace agreement, we know perfectly well what the scenario will be. It has a name, it’s called war.”

— François Hollande

28. “My adversary is the world of finance.”

— François Hollande

29. “No one imposes things on anyone in Europe. That’s not my notion, nor is it my temperament. The EU has always functioned under the banner of respect, equilibrium and trust.”

— François Hollande

30. “Everyone says Francois Mitterrand had huge charisma. But before he was president they used to call him badly dressed, old, archaic and say he knew nothing about the economy until the day he was elected. It’s called universal suffrage. When you’re elected, you become the person that embodies France.”

— François Hollande

31. “What the French want is coherence, stability and justice. If I am in a favorable position today, it’s because my fellow citizens want to make the effort to straighten out the country, and at the same time they want it to be just and equitable.”

— François Hollande

32. “If I become president, France will not continue with the same policies as under Nicolas Sarkozy – both in domestic policy and in foreign and European policy.”

— François Hollande

33. “As a president I will be like the candidate that I am, a respectful candidate, a rallying candidate, a normal candidate for a normal presidency, at the service of the Republic.”

— François Hollande

34. “I don’t want to drive the markets crazy. I don’t want to create trouble, but rather order and rules and norms. We have to struggle against financial excesses, those who speculate with sovereign debt, those who develop financial products which have done so much harm.”

— François Hollande

35. “In an election, one needs both hope and audacity.”

— François Hollande

36. “Each country has a soul, and France’s soul is equality.”

— François Hollande

37. “Austerity need not be Europe’s fate.”

— François Hollande

38. “There’s always a risk when the candidate becomes president: Will he deliver what is expected of him?”

— François Hollande

39. “Today, Paris is the capital of the world.”

— François Hollande

40. “The British have been particularly shy about the issues of financial regulation, and attentive only to the interests of the City – hence their reluctance to see the introduction of a tax on financial transactions and tax harmonisation in Europe.”

— François Hollande

41. “An education program is, by definition, a societal program. Work should be done at school, rather than at home.”

— François Hollande

42. “My goal is to put France back on its feet. I have to put this country back on its feet.”

— François Hollande

43. “I gave myself an objective, to be the second president from Correze and finally to be the successor to Francois Mitterrand.”

— François Hollande

44. “There are tensions abroad where people don’t understand our attachment to the freedom of speech, we’ve seen the protests, and I would say that in France all beliefs are respected.”

— François Hollande

45. “We’re all taking part in this solidarity. The French, the Germans, just like all the Europeans in the ESM. Let’s stop thinking that there’s only one country who’s going to pay for the others. That’s false.”

— François Hollande

46. “Not in the constitution, but I would propose a law to the French parliament that provides for reducing the budget deficit year by year, until we have reached a balanced budget by 2017.”

— François Hollande

47. “During a term in office there are highs and lows, but what counts is that the goal is set as well as the means to achieve it, and the force we put into getting results.”

— François Hollande

48. “I know where I’m going and I have told the French. I am sure if hope is there, we will be able to put France back on its feet to live better in five years than we do today.”

— François Hollande

49. “I think that France has not made it clear enough recently to our German friends how important it is to introduce euro bonds as a tool against speculation. And how the necessary budget discipline needs to be accompanied by growth.”

— François Hollande

50. “I have defended the interests of France at the G8 in Washington; afterwards I was at Chicago to announce the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan; I have participated in two European summits, so I have fully respected the engagements I made to the French.”

— François Hollande