Paris has its first woman mayor

Socialist Anne Hidalgo won the municipal elections in Paris on Sunday and became the first woman to lead the French capital, according to the exit polls. It is one of the few significant victories for the Socialists, who suffered on Sunday's poll with extremely poor results, which could lead to a government reshuffle.

Aged 54, Anne Hidalgo, the right hand of the incumbent socialist mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, has defeated her right opponent from the UMP, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, aged 40, former close to the President Nicolas Sarkozy. She ranked first after the first round held on March 23.

Anne Hidalgo was unknown a few years ago. She was born in Spain, San Fernando, on June 19, 1959, but her family moved to Lyon in 1961 during Franco's dictatorship.

Very good in school, but discreet, Anne dreamed to come to Paris, which she did, in 1982. She first approaches politics in 1993, when she enters in the Ministry of Labour, then, the next year, joins the Socialist Party.

For years she stayed in the shadows, working in ministers' offices, then she became the right hand of Bertrand Delanoe and was his first deputy in the 13-year term. Patient, discreet and skillful, a woman in her place, devoted and serious - that's how Europe 1 describes her. However, when she wants something, she has the nerve and ambition needed.

She has two children from a first marriage and in 2004 she remarried, to a deputy.