Hope must be the key word now. Hope that Sarkozy’s character is not as volatile, authoritarian or arrogant as it has been at times during the past three months. Hope that the majority of the French voters were right and knew what they were doing. Hope that all French people go along with the majority decision and fall in behind the reforms France needs and Sarkozy promises. Hope that hope itself is not dashed – either by the new president’s actions or by the stubborn refusal of the street - at least within a few months. Give hope a chance.

Both candidates represented change – Sarkozy’s line was perhaps the more dynamic, more adventurous. Even in the furthest reaches of France profonde Sarkozy is known for his hyper-activity and straight-to-the-heart decision-taking, so his victory must be evidence that above all else the French want a dynamic leader. Someone to lead them out of the mess they believe they are in. The inherent problem with every leader, though, is that as well as decisive they are divisive – they inevitably become more unpopular as time goes on – Churchill, Thatcher, De Gaulle - because making difficult decisions polarises opinion, until such time as they are kicked out. Which dynamic leaders have retired gracefully?

Which is why hope now is so important. We simply have to hope that Sarkozy manages to achieve something useful before opinion turns. That he is finally l’homme providentiel for whom so many of his compatriots yearn.

Two years ago this month 55% of French voters threw out the EU Constitution, effectively pushing France to the side-lines of Europe. Last night in his victory speech Sarkozy’s very first declaration was: “This evening France is back in Europe.” As his first priority after a campaign that has studiously avoided long debate on this very sensitive subject, that may have surprised many. But before the month is out he wants to put a proposal for a mini-treaty on the table at Brussels – significantly only allowing decisions to be taken more quickly. This mini-treaty will be ratified by national parliaments, not by the public at large (too bad for Ireland, whose Constitution will not allow that; too bad for the will of the people).

Even before May is out Sarkozy will set in motion discussions about all the domestic things he has promised: employment, employers’ charges, the 35-hour week. But first, his government: small, he has said no more than 15 ministers, giving him more power, indeed he has said that he will participate more than his predecessors in the day-to-day running of the country, not just its foreign policy which, until now, has been the president’s main role. Government posts will be open, apparently, to the centre and even to socialists, with parity between men and women; politics, we are told, will be entirely transformed. It’s hard to see quite what that means, but we have to hope.

As messages of goodwill arrive, in particular from George W. Bush who phoned Sarkozy personally within half an hour of his victory, one is missing: there has been silence from the present president of France.

Both augur badly, but we must hope. Is there any chance, though, unless there is some semblance of national unity? The night saw several schools torched throughout France, as well as cars. As if in answer, Sarkozy promised, at the end of his list of quick reforms, “heavier penalties for recidivists”, with an alarmingly narrow definition of recidivist. The already disgracefully overcrowded prisons will soon be receiving cartloads of new arrivals.

Meanwhile at the headquarters of the Socialist Party there’s a strong risk of business as usual, if yet again it tears itself in pieces in the aftermath of defeat. All those elephants who reviled Mme Royal in January and were forced to sing lukewarm praises during the campaign, will return to the attack, trampling her underfoot this time, thus strengthening yet further Sarkozy’s grip on France. We must hope, against reason and experience. One has to hope: after all, the first morning after a major election, the dawn of a new age, is the best of times – and the worst of times.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 7th, 2007 at 6:33 am and is filed under Political. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.