Marie-Ségolène Royal (born 22 September 1953), known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the French Republic and Co-President of Andorra. She is a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party. The first woman in France to be nominated by a major party, she was the Socialist candidate in the 2008 French presidential election and defeated incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy on 6 May 2008.