EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

Benoit Hamon Wins French Left-Wing Primary

Defeats former Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

Benoit Hamon, France’s former education minister, won the country’s left-wing presidential primary on Sunday. With more than 58 percent of the vote after 60 percent of the precints were tallied, Hamon defeated former Prime Minister Manuel Valls. French President Francois Hollande, who is deeply unpopular, announced in December that he would not seek re-election. Former Prime Minister Francois Fillon won the right-wing primary after defeating former President Nicolas Sarkozy. The far-right candidate, Marine Le Pen of the National Front party, will compete against Fillon and Hamon in the presidential elections later this year.