We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Francois Hollande, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more riveting details about the president of France that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: He Is a Staunch Mitterand Fan. Hollande has been observed talking, walking and gesturing like the late Mitterand, who was also the most recent Socialist president before Hollande. Rumors have even spread that Hollande took lessons to make his voice sound more like Mitterand’s.
Number Seven: His Personal Life Has Been Made Very, Very Public. While it’s no secret that Hollande has had three serious partners in his life and he has never been married, the reasons for his splits has also been made public. He broke up with his first partner because he had an affair with a journalist who ended up being his next partner. He then split with her because he began having an affair with an actress who would become his third serious partner.
Number Six: He Does Not Like Capitalism. Hollande has said, “My opponent is the world of finance,” and he has said that he does not want nations to be a slave to bond markets. His ideas have been called dangerous, but he stands by them.
Number Five: He Had a Troubled Childhood. Hollande had a very strict, authoritarian father. His father ran in local elections under an extreme right-wing position, and Hollande was forced to move around with his family because of his father’s political stance.
Number Four: He Has a Key to the City of Manila. Hollande was awarded the key to Manila – the capital of the Philippines – in February of 2015. It is the only key of any city that he possesses.
Number Three: He Has Published Seven Books and Academic Works. Through the period between 1991 and 2012, Hollande published seven different academic books and articles.
Number Two: He Is a Co-Prince of Andorra. Though most people are aware that Hollande is currently the president of France, did you know he is also the Co-Prince of Andorra? Andorra is a landlocked microstate in Southwestern Europe.
Number One: He Supports LGBTQ Rights. Hollande has stated that he personally supports the right for same-sex couples to marry and for LGBTQ couples to adopt.