PARIS -(Dow Jones)- French Socialist Party's presidential candidate Francois Hollande, who came ahead in the elections' first round, Sunday evening called for voters of all the left-wing candidates to support him and pledged to lead the European Union towards more growth.

"My responsibility and I know that I am being watched upon beyond our borders is to reorient Europe on the path of growth and job creation," Hollande told his supporters in a political rally in Tulle, the town where he holds public office in central France.

During the campaign, Hollande vowed to renegotiate a fiscal compact European Union leaders agreed, with which they commit to limit deficits and debt.

The Socialist party's candidate has said he wants to include references to economic growth in the pact, a position interpreted by many as a way to soften the stance of the European Union on government profligacy.

During his address, Hollande insisted he is the candidate of all the left-wing forces and thanked far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon and the green party's Eva Joly who endorsed his candidacy Sunday evening.

"I am the candidate of the union for change. This unity must be the widest possible and involves first the forces of the lest and the ecologists for whom I am the representative."

-By Inti Landauro, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 6 46 08 43 24;inti.landauro@dowjones.com