she was a secretary for Mitterrand at first (French socialist president (1981-1995)) ; she was a good minister of "family" and she passed the gay civil union in 2000 ; she remains an amazing president of a region : Poitou-Charentes is a rather rural place that was a bit old fashion and out dated before she came. Now it's modern and very environment friendly.
The problem is her 2007 campagin which wasn't very good. True, she got to the second tour but only scored 47% a very low score for the Socialist party (Mitterrand won with 54% in 1988)... she wasn't strong enough in her speeches and her debate against Sarkozy. Now people see her as this "old hope" to win, but not as a winner. She did work a lot on her ability to give speeches, but still she's out dated.
you have to know that, if the World knows her because of the 2007 campagin, she actually lost the inner campaign by only 50 votes to the Socialist presidency a year later. After the 2002 disaster (for the first time ever the Socialist party did not get to the second tour of the presidency election which saw the Right candidate opposed to the Extreme Right), François Hollande took the socialist presidency and led the party to the European elections and regional elections victories. But in 2007 he was supposed the obvious candidate when his wife, Ségolène Royal imposed the idea of a primary vote. Soon she became the media queen and François Hollande accepted to not run against his wife. Ségolène won 60% in the first tour of that primary against a more "left" candidate who voted "No" against the European constitution in 2005 Laurent Fabius (former prime minister to Mitterrand) and a social-democracy candidate, Dominique Strauss-Kahn who is now in Washington directing the International Monetary Fund. But after the 2007 loss, François Hollande accepted to leave the Party's secretary. A huge battle among no less than 6 candidates aroused, but 4 battled the most, the very popular Paris homosexual mayor Bertrand Delanoë ; the very extreme left candidate, young and talented Benoît Hamon ; Ségolène Royal who decided to represent and defend the social-democracy (the French socialist party is one of the only ones in Europe who did not recognize social-democracy, unlike in Germany where SPD has recognized it which saw the creation of a new party Die Linke) ; Martine Aubry, the charismatic mayor of Lille, daughter to Jacques Delors former president of the European commission, who is the famous minister who passed the 35-hours per week law which is very hated by the Right. Results, less than 1% to the two candidates I did not name, 20% for Bertrand Delanoë, 25% for Benoît Hamon, 25% for Ségolène Royal, 30% for Martine Aubry. So for the second vote, Delanoë joined Aubry "against the social democracy" while Benoît Hamon decided to still go for it. Second tour results, 20% for Benoît Hamon, 40% for Ségolène Royal, 40% for Martine Aubry. A third and last tour was organized, and it took five days to decide Martine Aubry won by 53 votes, after a long week of very harsh comments against the two women.
Now Ségolène Royal decided to leave entirely the head board of the socialist party but finally rejoined. For the 2012 election, no one knows who will actually be the candidate and it has been decided that primaries will be hosted again. Strauss-Kahn is Sarkozy's worst fear since the very respectable IMF president got very popular in France since then and is his former economic teacher! But Strauss-Kahn has never ever said if he is willing to go to primaries again or not. Martine Aubry, the current prime secretary of the party said she'll probably go but it's not sure when Ségolène Royal already said she was a candidate. Another battle between the women? It's quite certain that Aubry, who gained popularity since the 2010 regional election victories (out of 22 regions, 21 were won by the Socialist party!!), will win. She is currently predicted at 55% against Sarkozy, when Ségolène Royal is only at 50% tied... but Strauss-Kahn is said to be at 63% to a very low 37% for Sarkozy!
