PARIS (Reuters) - A strong showing by hardline leftist Arnaud Montebourg in France's Socialist Party presidential primary has made the selection of a moderate candidate less of a certainty and could drag the party's 2012 campaign further to the left.
Francois Hollande, a moderate who wants to curb the public deficit and foster closer European integration, won 39 percent in Sunday's first round, beating Martine Aubry, a more old-school leftist. She secured 31 percent, according to results released on Monday with 86.5 percent of the vote counted.