François Hollande will become president of France after defeating Nicolas Sarkozy

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      The man dubbed Mr. Normal, François Hollande, has defeated Nicolas Sarkozy in the French presidential election.

      Early returns indicate that Hollande won 52 percent of the vote. He becomes the second Socialist Party president of the French Fifth Republic. (Leon Blum was a socialist president of the third republic in the 1930s.)

      The last Socialist Party president was François Mitterrand.

      Hollande has promised to raise the minimum wage and reduce the retirement age from 62 to 60 for some workers.

      Back in March, the Straight's international-affairs columnist, Gwynne Dyer, predicted Sarkozy's defeat.

      During the campaign, Hollande declared that his "true adversary" was the world of finance.

      Comments

      10 Comments

      Arthur Vandelay

      May 6, 2012 at 12:30pm

      I wonder who Frenchy Mulcaire voted for. Would someone at the GS pin him down on this please.

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      Joudy

      May 6, 2012 at 2:09pm

      I doubt anyone on the Left was surprised that it was BIG FINANCE that was Francois Hollande’s biggest opponent. No matter what country an election is in, it’s always BIG FINANCE, BIG OIL opposing the Left. I can hear the Right screaming now, “THE LEFT WILL CREATE AN APOCALYPSE & DESTROY THE WORLD WITH THEIR BLAH BLAH AGENDAAAAAA.” But will any of them give a credible answer as to how Sarkozy’s Conservative’s, in power for 17 years, giving the financial sector what they asked for and then some, are still in the financial pickle they’re in? By the looks of it France is not much better off or different than any of the other EU countires. Maybe France’s finances appear to be in a better state than some but who knows what was being covered up? I’m sure we are about to find out.

      Regardless of who’s country is doing worse my point is, from far right wing to far left wing, they are all in trouble. It is obvious the manner in which the world has been run for the last 100 years has been an unmitigated disaster. Well, for 99% of the world including 99% of the natural world too. I suggest rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes and other carriers of disease are doing quite well as are the lucky 1% in the human world. Most people are going to discover, in the not too distant future, we have been the proverbial frogs sitting in the pot of boiling water too indoctrinated to know enough to jump out and save ourselves.

      I wonder; when will the world’s leaders start leading with honor and integrity? When will the world’s power brokers recognize the world is going down the sewer pipe as fast as a whirling dervish? Capitalism on one hand and Communism on the other created the same huge gap between the haves and the have nots. Could it be that somewhere in the middle of these 2 systems is one that uses some elements of both to create a new system that actually works? One where truth and honesty are the norm; where information is not withheld from its citizens; where people in power are held accountable for their actions and appropriate consequences are taken when they aren’t. A world where everyone’s health is more important than a few people’s bank balances.

      I can’t help but think of a quote by Carl Sagan from his Pale Blue Dot speech. “The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.”

      If that doesn’t cause you to stop and think I suggest you need to ask yourself why not. I wish Mr. Francois and the people of France all the best in their future and their role within the world. Maybe they can show the rest of the world a thing or two about running a country without an apocalypse destroying it. For the rest of the world’s citizens, I ask that you remember; we may have all arrived by way of a different ship, but we are all in the same boat now.

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      Sharris

      May 6, 2012 at 2:49pm

      Very well stated, Joudy. Thank you for your comment.

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      2nd Nation

      May 6, 2012 at 3:14pm

      Dear Judy,

      A man once said "brevity is the soul of wit".

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      Sidartha

      May 6, 2012 at 3:42pm

      It seems right-wing conservatism is taking it on all sides! That tends to happen when people question conservative values. They quickly find that stripping humanity from the equation doesn't work well for humans.

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      Doctor

      May 6, 2012 at 3:57pm

      Can it be that the world's people's are returning to a sane and Normal perspective?

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      KiDDAA Magazine

      May 6, 2012 at 7:22pm

      The right winged leaders have given the planet two losing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a disasterous economy, with the middle class going down and students who cant afford education. More drug users, more poor is the legacy of these evangelical nuts.
      The French like many intelligent countries kicked out the right and their love of wars based on oil, Israel, and lies and decided to vote for someone who would help France.
      Much like the USA voted for Obama who ended one war, tries to keep them out of a war in Iran based on lies, no nukes and CNN type fearmongering. He gave Americans health care and killed there number one enemy and gave the masses color.
      So France will be one of many nations that wont use immigrations, racism, and scapegoating and the left winged like the NDP will come back to power.
      You want Bush, Blair and Sarkozy than make your own nation. Time for a change yes a decade of losing politicians is enough.

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      KiDDAA Magazine

      May 6, 2012 at 8:02pm

      The French said is enough is enough. Neo Nazis, far right politicians and blaming everything on immigrants is just a losing propostiion. Considering France's best soccer player was Algerian, Zinedine Zidane and they have 5 million Muslims. The world is changing and the French like when they refused to fight the war in Iraq understand that.
      Freedom fries nah i prefer Poutine and frog legs. Hate based politics is ok for a short time. The reality is most people want to be able to afford a house, feed their kids, and enjoy life. Most people dont want polticians who base politics on religion, hate and xenophobia. The Bush years should be a prime example when religion and big corporations merge.

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      of_no_consequence

      May 6, 2012 at 9:19pm

      <i>Can it be that the world's people's are returning to a sane and Normal perspective?</i>

      And in the next election when the Socialists lose?...Nope, not even close. The West is financially, morally and creatively bankrupt. The conservative tide has just started. Everyone knows in their gut the West is receding further into another <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Age_Ahead">Dark Age</a> .

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      PleaseWhatever

      May 7, 2012 at 8:38am

      Merci France.

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