Monsieur Hollande, who is really the likely challenger to Sarkozy

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is returning to Paris, the tireless usually smile. And go with the river of ruminations on his political future in France. Perhaps Minister, certainly not as President, as he hoped before the scandal that has engulfed in New York. For the Socialist primary, which the 9 October indicate rival Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential spring 2012, the Favorites are François Hollande and Martine Aubry. Dominique doesn't compete. And the fight is definitely Hollande. Not only that, a poll Ifop, announced at the weekend, indicated that, if the first round of elections held now, it would be him to ensure the best performance of all candidates in the primaries Socialist, making sure the 29% of the vote, compared to 23.5% for Sarkozy and 18.5% of Marine Le Pen.

Determined, despite a seemingly good-natured smile, always a politician by profession (but was never Minister), who is really François Hollande? Beyond the official biographies, is just out in Paris a book on the character, the story balanced (but not directly authorized by the intended target groups), François Hollande. Itinéraire secret, written by the journalist Serge Raffy, collaborator of the weekly Nouvel Observateur, and published by Fayard. Here are some revelations.

The father? The extreme right – a certain attitude, sometimes distant, betrays our bourgeois origins. The bourgeoisie, for accuracy. The Hollande live sonnachiosa in Rouen, Northwest of the city. Her mother, Nicole, is a social worker, extroverted, by left-wing sympathies. His father, a physician, is authoritarian: quite absent at home, too busy by the profession, from numerous real estate investments, passion for politics. It has multiple times (but unsuccessfully) into lists local extreme right. It's a nostalgic of Marshal Petain, despise the General De Gaulle, the French remains Algeria (supports the Oas, the clandestine political-military organisation, which campaigns against the independence of the colony).

The relationship with Mitterrand – Hollande moved to Paris in 1968 ("the revolt of May is perceived by the householder – writes Raffy – as the first stage of the Communist invasion in France"). François has 13 years. Starts, early in his political activity, but without following the footsteps of his father. Student at the prestigious Sciences Po, adheres to the Unef-Renouveau movement, close to the Communist Party. Hollande, however, is not part of the training policy and "is not an ideologue – the book of Raffy-. Can't stand the theoretical debates that characterize the left of those years. " Already then it is a moderate and a pragmatist. Watch, then, welcome to François Mitterrand and his idea of "Union of the left, including Communists, which will allow him to become President (first and last Socialist) in 1981. Already that year, Hollande (which has a large pocket of diplomas: Sciences Po, the high school of Commerce Hec and the public administration, Ena) is called to the Elysée Palace as an advisor for the economic sector. For Mitterrand will feed a always admired ill-considered, but not fully reciprocated. The choice of the President in time becomes rather then Ségolène Royal, Hollande's partner.

The legacy (disputed) of Delors-since 1993 Hollande chairs the Club Témoin, which has as its reference Jacques Delors, the President of the European Commission and Minister of economy in the early years of the Mitterrand era. The presidential candidacy of Delors ' 95, however, fades. Primaries Hollande will end up as main rival Martine Aubry, Delors's daughter. That has long been Dumbledore: only recently has taken a position officially to Martine. In many, though, look to François as his true heir. Delors, Catholic left, austere and reassuring, it looks more like Hollande at pasdaran Socialist who became in time the daughter.

The error of Lionel Jospin – in 2002, which loses against Jacques Chirac already in the first round: second place is Jean-Marie Le Pen. It is an immense trauma for the French Socialists, never fully digested. Hollande was then party General Secretary. Long close to Jospin, Hollande comes from this put away at the end of the campaign. Jospin quits in an ivory tower, convinced that he will win. Raffy recalls a meeting with Hollande, where most are on the hands.

François, Ségolène and Valérie – Ségolène Royal, a former companion of François (they had 4 children) from the time of the Ena. Valérie makes Trierweiler surname and is the journalist of Paris-Match that is now the companion of Hollande. And say that it's just interviewing the Royal Valérie during maternity leave, in 1992, when born, the last of his children with Hollande: one of the first episodes in France's "glamourizzazione" of the policy (for more on the left), much criticised. The journalist becomes friend of the couple. Raffy's book tells (without voyeurism) as Ségolène and François gradually depart, already prior to her presidential campaign against Sarkozy. And as the link him with Valérie becomes something more than just a friendship. The Trierweiler is today very discreet about the relationship with the partner. But the report raises many controversy in a country that looks with a good dose of wariness to the fact that politicians find next in the private lives of journalists.