Top 70 Francois Hollande Quotes

France, because it was attacked cowardly, shamelessly, violently, France will be merciless against the barbarians of Daesh.

I support the French team – I go to all their matches – but I don’t want to use sport for politics. That’s not good for sport or for politics.

We need intelligence services to fight against terrorism, but they have to respect the principles of good relationships between allies and protect personal, confidential data.

The best thing the Democrats can do is to get Hillary Clinton elected.

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.

Though Africa is not responsible for emitting greenhouse gases, it is suffering the consequences of climate change.

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

I don’t want euro bonds that serve to mutualize the entire debt of the countries in the euro zone. That can only work in the longer-term. I want euro bonds to be used to finance targeted investments in future-oriented growth projects. It isn’t the same thing. Let’s call them ‘project bonds’ instead of euro bonds.

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

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.

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.

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.

France, after the month of May, will share trust with the current leadership of the United States which, on many subjects, has tended to take useful positions in our view.

Europe existed before Britain joined it.

I perfectly understood President Obama‘s attitude throughout the French presidential campaign. He had no reason to distance himself from Nicolas Sarkozy. It’s the basic solidarity that leaders who worked together owe to each other.

In August 2012, the international community should have been far more determined in dealing with the Bashar Assad regime.

Long live the Republic, and long live France.

When I travel officially… and when I travel on a private basis, I have protection that is less suffocating. But I am protected everywhere.

My obligation, if I become president, is to give another direction to Europe than the one that is being forced upon us today.

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

Our only goal is to strengthen the opposition and to avoid the dilemma whereby we only have the choice between Bashar Assad and al-Qaeda.

If there is not a united policy, this mechanism will not work: it will collapse, and it will… undoubtedly be the end of Schengen, the return of national borders.

Faced with terror, France must be strong, it must be great, and the state authorities must be firm.

Our common responsibility is to put Europe’s interests first.

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

When we live longer, we must work a little bit longer.

The real threat comes from terrorism.

I hope Britain stays in the European Union, but I don’t want to decide for the British.

The world owes an ecological debt to the African continent.

There must be protection of the external borders.

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.

Everyone must be in the same competitive situation, including on the fiscal level.

We will continue to hit those who threaten us.

It is intolerable that in our country citizens should feel so upset and under assault because of their religious choice that they would conclude that they have to hide.

Be happy, be proud, be generous, be respectful, be proud to be French citizens.

The Republic will destroy terrorism.

France has been struck on the day of her national holiday – the 14th of July, Bastille Day – the symbol of liberty, because human rights are denied by fanatics, and France is clearly their target.

I do not like the rich.

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.

Islamist terrorism has declared war against us, against France, Europe, the entire world.

We are a big country, with lots of advantages and history. We are proud to be French. We have to call on patriotism at this time… to ask for an effort in the battle against debt.

The extremists wanted to divide France; it came together.

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.

There must be pressure on Moscow so that we have negotiations. Moscow will not succeed by unilaterally backing Bashar al-Assad.

The first time that I went to the United States was in 1974. I was 20 years old. America was in crisis.

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.

I don’t know if you can hear me, but I have heard you. I heard your willingness to change. Your force, your hope… and I want to tell you how grateful I am. Thank you, thank you, thank you, people of France.

France wants Britain to remain in the E.U.; indeed, how can we imagine that friendly nation that is our ally and played a role on the international stage could be outside the E.U.?

What the terrorists want is to scare us and fill us with dread.

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.

Europe must be understood and controlled by its citizens.

The migrant question is directly linked to the crisis in Syria and Iraq.

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.

France is the bridge between northern Europe and southern Europe. I refuse any division. If Europe has been reunified, it’s not for it to then fall into egotism or ‘each for one’s own‘. Our duty is to set common rules around the principles of responsibility and solidarity.

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.

France is no longer herself when she is folded in on herself, tormented by ignorance and intolerance. The country would plunge into decline if it refused to be itself, if it was afraid of the future, afraid of the world.

My policies are producing results and will produce even more.

France needs to improve training and education and the level of skills of its workforce.

We are near, very near, to an end to the eurozone crisis… The worst – in the sense of the fear of the eurozone breaking up – is over. But the best isn’t there yet.

China… has the capacity to ensure its stability and growth.

Our enemy in Syria is Daesh: it’s not about containing but destroying this organisation.

We must do everything to ensure that the Euro 2016 is a success.

I prefer that people remember me as a president who made reforms rather than a president who did nothing.

We want the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union.

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.

We are absolutely clear: when these unaccompanied minors have a family link in the United Kingdom, then they must go to the United Kingdom. And they must go quickly and in an efficient fashion.

Muslims in France should be able to practice their religion freely and safely.

ISIL struck France because it is ‘free‘ and ‘the nation of human rights‘. This is not a war of civilisation, as these assassins don’t have any. This is a war against the jihadist menace that threatens not just France.

Whoever pays should control; whoever pays should sanction. I agree. But budgetary union should be completed by a partial mutualisation of debts through eurobonds.

A country outside the euro zone cannot have a veto over countries in the euro zone.