Political leaders welcome Hollande election

Party leaders on both sides of the political divide here have welcomed the election of Francois Hollande as president of France.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has congratulated Msr Hollande on his victory and says he looks forward to working with him to overcome Europe's challenges.

Mr Kenny also welcomed his focus on jobs and growth in the EU.

"These are challenging times for Europe but I believe that these challenges can be met and overcome with determination and a unity of focus on behalf of all member states," Mr Kenny said.

Elsewhere, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore - who is currently in Paris where he yesterday travelled to lend his support to Hollande - has also offered his congratulations to the new French president.

Mr Gilmore said the election of MsrHollande would make no difference to the referendum on the fiscal treaty and the vote will go ahead as planned.

Mr Hollande, who beat Nicolas Sarkozy at the polls, has vowed to renegotiate the treaty that is deeply unpopular in France unless he gets a pact for growth as well.

But Mr Gilmore was adamant that the Government and the rest of the EU supports his demand for growth measures.

"He is not proposing to reopen the treaty — he is talking about adding a growth agenda and that is something that is very much in our space," said Mr Gilmore.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Msr Hollande's win is a very welcome boost for all who believe that the EU must take a more active role in supporting a return to growth and job creation.

"We've consistently called in Fianna Fáil for a growth agenda across the European Union; for a broader mandate for the European Central Bank to enable it to intervene more effectively in the crisis, and to essentially agree balanced budgets over the next couple of years but also, in addition to that, to have a significant focus on growth and jobs across Europe.

"Hollande has made it clear that that's a part of his agenda, so I think that is something that we can welcome."

Additional reporting: Irish Examiner