RT on Hollande's victory in France

France Elections: Hollande Beats Sarkozy To Become France President

France Elections: Hollande Beats Sarkozy To Become France President:

'via Blog this'

PARIS (AP) -- Socialist Francois Hollande defeated conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday to become France's next president, heralding a change in how Europe tackles its debt crisis and how France flexes its military and diplomatic muscle around the world.

Sarkozy conceded defeat minutes after the polls closed, saying he had called Hollande to wish him "good luck" as the country's new leader.

One half of the ruling European elite is now gone

The French Elections: Off With King Sarko's Head | Common Dreams

The French Elections: Off With King Sarko's Head | Common Dreams:

'via Blog this'

He posed in spectacular grandeur as the neo-imperial Liberator of Libya - only a few years after Colonel Muammar Gaddafi helped finance his 2007 election campaign with a cool US$65 million.French president Nicolas Sarkozy (Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty images)

Profiting from a mysterious alliance between the Holy Ghost and an African chambermaid in New York, he got rid of the unstoppable challenger to his re-election, former International Monetary Fund director general and international sex fiend, Dominique Strauss-Khan.

And still, this Sunday, French voters - in a Facebook-style remix of the fall of the Bastille - are bound to yell "Off with his head".

Why? Hubris. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, aka neo-Napoleonic King Sarko, former king of bling bling, "Chouchou" to [Italian] First Lady Carla Bruni, may be his own worst enemy.

France Elections: Sarkozy Expected To Lose Barring 'Completely Unforeseen Catastrophe'

France Elections: Sarkozy Expected To Lose Barring 'Completely Unforeseen Catastrophe':

'via Blog this'

PARIS -- Socialist candidate Francois Hollande appeared to solidify his chances at winning France's presidency Thursday after voters welcomed his strong showing in a debate against beleaguered incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy.

Hollande also won the support of a prominent centrist who came in fourth in the first round of presidential elections.

The conservative Sarkozy has trailed Hollande throughout the campaign in the polls and needed a knockout performance in Wednesday night's debate. Pollsters said the mild-mannered Hollande was surprisingly resilient in the bitter back-and-forths with his longtime rival.