French Presidential Election Results - Sun, May 6, 2012

1/2 hour LEFT   

Wow!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/french-election-blog-2012/2012/may/06/fr...

7.46pm CEST:Writer Fiachra Gibbons, former Guardian arts correspondent, has sent me this dispatch from the Place de Bastille. 

Euphoric atmosphere at Bastille — hard to believe that François Hollande, the clubable once chubby Monsieur Flamby, could provoke quite so much fervour, but he has — and we don't even have the official, official results yet. The truth is the thousands of Parisians here have gathered as much to celebrate the demise and humiliation of Nicolas Sarkozy as the triumph of François Hollande.

People are smiling, laughing, being wonderfully joyful and polite — generally not behaving at all like Parisians ought to in public. It must have been like this after the liberation — when Parisians, who usually go to great lengths to ignore and be pointlessly rude to each other, also let their hair down for a few days. A Portuguese gardienne from my quarter who hasn't talked to me once in six years just hugged and kissed me on the mouth when she recognised me in the crowd. Immaculata voted for Le Pen in the first round but against Sarko today. "It is true there are too many foreigners and Muslims in France but his voice was driving me mad. He's a crazy person. And he was making the country as crazy as him. It could not go on. All he cared about was himself and his rich friends."

A shout of "Sarko en prison!" — roughly, "Lock up Sarko" — has been taken up by a part of the crowd, a reference to the multiple corruption and party funding investigations he will now face, from the Karachi scandal over the death of 11 French engineers in Pakistan over alleged unpaid kickbacks to Bettencourt brown envelopes and now allegations of millions from Gaddafi. An even more grisly chant of "Copé au pot eau!" ("Put Copé against the wall [and shoot him]) is also making an occasional appearance, aimed at the not very likable head of Sarko's UMP party — who if you can imagine such a thing, plays the Mr Nasty to Sarko's Mr Nice — and who was responsible for the ban on niqab. But the violence of the slogan seems completely at odds with the mood of the night and is being drowned out by the very drole, "Copé au burqa!" (Put Copé in a burqa!)

Lots of people I have talked to believe France is rid of Sarko forever, that there is no way back for him now. (There are, rather cruelly, not giving his marriage much of a chance of survival either.). They point to his frequent protests that he would withdraw forever from public life if he lost, which I think amounted to "Re-elect me or I will never play with you again".'But I don't think this will be the last we hear of him. Remember he has Transylvanian blood — and as far as I can seetonight, there's been no crucifixes or silver bullets.

52% to 48%  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17958367

Why did Sarkozy lose the French presidential election?

http://www.english.rfi.fr/economy/20120506-why-did-sarkozy-lose-french-p...

Sarkozy is speaking now - he is finished in French politics once and for all I believe. A true right-wing scumbag.

So now the bs in the msp will begin about how this will be the end of the world in France

We will see by his actions, not his promises. I do think though that he has some opposition to Merkel's austerity approach to European economics. It is always the same ole story. The rich rob the pantry and then when the social democrats take power there is no money left in the kitty. The first thing Hollande should do is level a massive tax on the one per centers, who with the help of folks like Sarkozy have robbed France blind.

I understand it is New Democracy that will have the prerogative to try forming a government...? So, not so good...

Hollande will be speaking live streaming here in about 2 minutes supposedly.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17958367

Congratulations M. Hollande and the people of France.

His victory speech was great..What I would give to hear the words 'progress' and 'equality' coming out of the mouths of my government.

But there's hope and now it's proven that Socialists CAN be elected in the 21st century...Bravo.

Good ole CBC nonsense.

Who is Francois Hollande, France's next president? From 'Marshmallow man' to the president of France, the remarkable trajectory of Francois Hollande

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/05/06/f-francois-hollande-profil...

Typical right-wing comments.

http://www.euronews.com/newswires/1507232-analysts-view-socialist-hollan...

JEAN-EMMANUEL VERNAY, DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ATINVEST SECURITIES FRANCE

“Hollande’s score isn’t as high as polls were predicting. The key will be to see who gets a majority in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Hopefully, the right or the left will get an absolute majority, with no need for concessions to the parties from the extreme left or right. The focus will also be on the European front, to see how the new French government will deal with Angela Merkel and more importantly, Mario Draghi.

DEUTSCHE BANK ECONOMIST GILLES MOEC

“I think that the market reaction will be quite subdued. The news from Greece may, in the short term, be more important than from Paris.

“Everyone in Hollande’s entourage is very keen in calming down any concerns with Germany and this is very important because this is what is at stake in the next few days. I’m fairly confident that France and Germany can maintain a very strong common approach to European affairs.

“The issues for France are more in the medium term. There was nothing in Hollande’s platform about structural reforms, competitiveness and these are issues that will have to be addressed in the next two or three years.”

“The immediate concern is about Germany and how to deal with the euro crisis, especially if Greece becomes a problem again. Hollande has moved sufficiently in the last few weeks on his ideas about renegotiating the fiscal pact to make it perfectly workable.”

France is removing troops from Afghanistan this year - are you listening Canada?

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-06/hollande-signals-return-of-f...

The crucial question is...will people be referring to the European power structure, as "Merlande"?

That is the nightmare that needs to be avoided.

May Le Front Gauche win as many seats as possible in the Assembly elections.

You're absolutely right.  We have to end all vestiges of "supply-side", or else they will end us.