Sarkozy has been defeated

Oh dear. Watch our stocks and shares on tues then!

Indeed, Jeni maybe maybe

D'y'think his gorgeous wife will find him as attractive now he's not a powerful politician or will she see him as a rather short man with a big tummy?

Never did like the little twerp..

crimson I have a feeling Carla Bruni will lose interest now

I agree about Carla but more importantly for us what does this mean for the Euro Greece have also kicked out their politicans who have agreed to austerity measures. Does it send a message to Mr Cameron - I do hope so especially after the terrible local elections here.

We certainly need a rethink about the recent budget, given the reaction of the ConDem's own colleagues and the backbenchers' urges to ease up on the cuts. Cameron now knows what will happen when it's our turn. He has some thinking to do - perhaps a reshuffle is imminent?

Hollande does seem more cerebral than Sarkozy - so lets hope this translates into sensible politics, with thought through strategies, rather then the dash into austerity without any plan for future growth. We could do with a some more steady intellectual people in the UK government.

I agree whitewave.
I think it is interesting that French elections have such a good turn-out (over 80%). I can't help thinking that it helps to have them on a Sunday when people are at home.

The Greece scenario is the worry - if they kick out the austerity measures that kept them in the euro, then the knock-on effects could be a problem. I don't feel sorry to see the back of the big-headed little chap in France!

Angela Merkel will have to find a new crony.....

I don't like her either. I'm sure she's going to lose sleep over that!

Todays paper seems to indicate that Frau Merkel is riding for a fall as well.

Be careful what you wish for. There will be a lot of trouble ahead and I for one do not want the same here thank you.

The Greek people have had austerity measures put in place we do'nt. The severity of the financial pact which the other 25 countries signed upto has always meant Greece and possibly Ireland and Portugal would have this sort of problem. As for Hollande I hope he does turn Frances finances around but he has a hell of a lot to prove. The big story is the rise of the far left,especially the New Dawn in Greece.

POGS I think you mean far RIGHT - New Dawn's emblem is a take on the swastika.

Do you both mean Golden Dawn?

Interesting ... and dangerous times ahead perhaps. Must say Sarko gave me the woolies - just seeing him and hearing his voice made the hairs stand at the back of my neck. Very few people do that to me- and yes, Mrs T was another one, and so was G. Bush (:

riverwalk and Anagram. Yup I do. Thanks! New Dawn was a horse I backed not so long ago, that did'nt win either.

The French have to vote again, do they not on June 12th? To do with the Legislative?

Also remember a horse with the " Dawn " in it. Dawn Run won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1986.

What would Angela Merkel have to do to make her self popular, give even more money away? The Germans will survive without the EU but will the other countries? F. Hollande will soon be back to real politics.

I saw a film shown in Germany about Carla Bruni where she said she was longing for the day when he is no longer president, and they can live a normal family life. She actually comes from a noble Italian family and has no need of being the president's wife to live that kind of life.
Some times on GN the posts soon come round to hitting out at successful women in the news and mostly with only a vague idea of of the true facts.

Well, she has had a string of relationships, one of them being with the son of the man she was living with at the time who divorced his wife to be with her, so I don't think I'm being too cynical. We'll see....

Yes, two more days of elections in June. As a member of the local council here, I have to do four hours at the polling station each time!
One thing I thought was very dramatic was the countdown at 8pm on the tele, when everybody counted, dix, neuf, huit etc and then the new President's picture appeared on the screen.

Being realistic, Carla Bruni is known for her 'hand-brake turns' (as described in the Independent) when leaving relationships with rich and powerful men. Her interest in Sarkozy astonished many people as she has left leanings and has publicly criticised Sarkozy in the past for his policies on immigation. Gransnetters do not necessarily only have a vague idea of the facts. Many of us are well read and take a keen interest in politics and current affairs. Reading through the hundreds and thousands of postings will show a balance of comments about successful women, and men

We only know what we have read and what you read abroad is different, I take the British press with pinch of salt. They are against anything German and next to the Germans come the French. Or is it the other way round?

Time will tell whether Sarkosy and Carla will remain married, but remarks about wives in politics have nothing to do with the politics in question which are what will become of the French / German alliance now that Sarkosy has been defeated, amd what this thread is about.

Greece seems set for a final ruin. Why, when the Greeks had 55% of their workforce working in the public sector and retiring at 55 years of age, should they be financed by Germans who retire at 65 (and soon at 67 )years of age. The Greeks must realise that those days are over, there are enough Greek billionaire's who could shoulder part of the Greek debt instead of the patient German, French and British tax payer.
Hollande is right to say he wants to drop out but the difficulty is doing it. He's going to have to go along with Merkel whether he likes it or not, but she is not quarrelsome or sensitive and has smoothed out worse problems in the last few years.
Merkel went to school in the communist East Germany and speaks fluent Russian. She has learnt English in the meantime but will not discuss politics in English. You have to understand German to realise what an intelligent far thinking poitician she is.