And the next President of France is...

9.19pm: David Cameron's reaction - "I warmly congratulate Nicholas Sarkozy on his election as President of France. He has campaigned with energy on a platform of change from the economy to the environment on which he promised again tonight that France under his presidency would play a leading role. Now France has voted for change I wish Nicholas Sarkozy every success as he takes up his responsibilities as President." {Related link: No snub from Sarkozy over EPP withdrawal}

9.13pm: Latest projection gives Sarkozy 52.7%.  Allister Heath thinks that Sarkozy is France's "only hope".

7.45pm: Sarkozy pays tribute to European project in speech (no change there) but also promises to stand with USA (a real break from Chirac) although not uncritically.  Emphasises need to combat global warming.

7.34pm: http://sarkozy.fr/

7.30pm: "I've said before that I am not a fan of Sarkozy. He looks to me to be slightly unbalanced and a bit of a bastard. I suppose I should console myself by the fact that as a man of the Right he is at least OUR bastard." - Iain Dale

7.21pm: Both of these men have had a good week (Sarkozy has his own A-list, too, with a promise to fill half of his Cabinet with women).

7.14pm: Extraordinary TV scenes of Sarkozy's car driving through Paris being followed by photographers on motorbikes trying to get photos of France's next President.  You can't imagine the US Secret Service allowing such a thing!

7.07pm: After the scaremongering warnings of riots if Sarkozy was elected a very gracious concession speech from Segolene. This elegant woman has perfected the no make-up make-up look!

7pm: Exit polls predict 53% to 47% victory for Nicolas Sarkozy.  The third consecutive defeat for France's socialists.

6.59pm: 85% turnout! Wow.

Comments

[Pete]

reat result for France and I would like to say great night for Europe, but he supports the EU constitution so enthusiastically.

[Pisaboy]

Surprised and heartened to hear him describe America as a great nation.
Good point about the motorbikes it was bizarre seing a dozen of them vying for position around the car, it'd just take one nutty lefty with a pistol...

[Pete]

*that shoud read great result

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

Brilliant news! Maybe Cameron will rethink about leaving the EPP? I do hope he will...

[TFA Tory]

Sarkozy is one of the conspirators trying to impose the EU constitution by stealth despite it being rejected by the French people in the referendum. Like Merkel, he is just another anti-democratic Europhile posing a Thatcherite free marketeer. You can't trust them!

[Tim Aker]

Look, listen and learn Cameron!

Sarko tacked to the right, played up economic liberalism, nationalism and a strong, united nation based on fundamental principles of nationhood...and he won!

Just a shame he's a bloody europhile, because he's shown how one can win, even in a place like France, by tacking to the Right!

[RS]

Good news, and Cameron should rethink leaving the EPP, running away and hiding with extremists is a rediculous idea.

The EU is a good idea but after many years of socialists directing it its become very messy, we need a band of right wing goverments to be able to make it much more efficient and relevant. Ah well level headed, economically focused people seem to realise that the EU has been a good idea, thats partly lost its focus. Some people in our party need to re-evalute their predudices and stop reading the daily mail and telegraph. Try your library, or even better goto a good university library to get your real facts on the subject.

[Dave Wilson]

If you don't want to live in a democracy the EU is a good idea.

[C. L. K. Aqurette]

It’s not entirely true that Sarkozy is an enthusiastic supporter of the EU constitution. After the French referendum, Sarkozy signed up to the idea of replacing most of the existing treaties with a single slimmed down treaty limiting the powers of Europe’s supranational institutions. I don’t know the details of the British debate on Europe (I’m a Swede), but this is exactly what most conservatives and libertarians in Scandinavia and the Netherlands have strived for the past decade. I think Sarkozy’s presidency can prove to be very valuable to those of us who wish to see Europe move in a different direction.

[TomTom]

He looks to me to be slightly unbalanced and a bit of a bastard.

Good. Politics is about power...the delusions of voters made them think politicians had to be your best friend and Blair suckered them with that line

[Tanuki]

A move for France in the 'right' direction - though we must wait and see just how much in the way of reforms he can manage to push through against the old unionised public-sector power-bloc and the 'ENAistes'. I hope he can manage to get true structural reforms moving within France and lead his country out of their current bureaucratic/socialistic morass which is so reminiscent of the UK in the 1970s. Good luck Nico - you're going to need it!

[Dave Wilson]

QUOTE: "It’s not entirely true that Sarkozy is an enthusiastic supporter of the EU constitution. After the French referendum, Sarkozy signed up to the idea of signed up to the idea of replacing most of the existing treaties with a single slimmed down treaty limiting the powers of Europe’s supranational institutions."

Sorry - this is fantasy - the EU is built to go in one direction only - more powers to itself, by treaties or otherwise - even the European Court of Justice can only adjudicate in favour of "strengthening" the EU institutions.

[Ted]

It's great that the French have rejected socialism in favour of a more right wing candidate but Sarkozy would be on the left of the Labour party in many policies. We've different political histories and the Gaullist settlement may be distrubed but I doubt it'll be ruptured.

In 10 days he'll go to be sworn in. Then he'll travel to the Franco-German border and meet Merkel and like his predessors and hers they will discuss Franco-German relations and the future of the EU.
In July he, with Angela, will put pressure (if its actually needed) on Blair to sign up for the constitution in all but name.

[Jon White]

Will it still be Blair in July, Ted?

[Guido Fawkes]

Did she actually give a gracious acceptance speech? It seemed very curt. Maybe your French is better than mine.

[Arthurian Legend]

If it is true that Sarkozy has won the French presidential election, than as President of France he will have a lot more power in determining many of the laws that apply in this country, than most elected members of the British parliament. And no British person would have had the opportunity either to vote for or against him.

[RS]

I had the impression that Blair will be gone by then, Brown is also in favour of the mini treaty. But he's also pro Turkish membership over Sarkozy who is anti turkish.

[RS]

What???? how do you figure that

[Jon White]

Heaven's! We can't have Turkey in the EU!!!!
Ye Gods, what next? If we let Muslims into our cosy little Christian Club, who knows what might happen next!!!!

[601]

Too bad for his views on Europe.

I guess you can't have it all in one package.

Let's just be happy Royal was defeated.

[Jaz]

To have a truely anti-european stance in Europe would be entirely stupid.

I personally have no objections against Turkey joining the EU except economic ones (which economically, Turkey is not ready to join).

I get the feeling in France that the anti-Turkey group is more bothered as Muslims and racism that actually economic concerns (which is what the EU is about).

[Tim Roll-Pickering]

Tim Aker: Don't you remember our campaign in 2001? It wasn't a million miles from what you're advocating. And it lost big time.

[Felicity Mountjoy]

The leaders of the world in January 2009 will be Merkel-Brown-Sarkozy-Clinton.

In 2010 Cameron will replace Brown in that quartet.

[RS]

I'm also not blindly anti-EU, admitidly I tend to find the people who are usually a bit short on the hard data and passionate on the soft data. Alot of people seem to be stuck in a mindset that "Change is bad" so they complain about the system as it is now, and then complain even more when it wants to change?!?!
Being feverently pro-eu would be just as bad. I suppose it all depends on what place you see the UK (if it still exists) in the future.
Labour has detroyed out international reputation, weakened then union, maybe fatally, and the social fabric is being tested by "targets" and liberal wackjob "initiatives" that make matters worse.

Although I do think Cameron has to now sieze the moment obviously if the French can vote a hard talking, market liberalist. We deserver to hear his view on what he'll do from crime, armed forces, tax, education etc etc. All of which have been a bit short. I'm just hopeing thats he's waiting for the elections and we'll see some groundbreaking ideas. As the reason we aren't doing aswell as we should be in elections is that people have no idea what Cameron is going do...

[Ted]

I meant June in earlier posting - Blair's parting gift and legacy agreeing the Berlin Treaty.
And, Felicity , the worlds leaders currently include Putin, who controls much of Europes energy and President Hu Jintao of China, who make most of our goods. Both of them are due to be re-elected / replaced by 2010 and its perhaps more important really who their successors are. As for the US Obama is quite a likely candidate still. Merkel has an election to face by then as well.

[Tim Aker]

Tim Roll-Pickering, even Saint Dave of Witney would have lost in 2001. It wasn't about manifestos, it was about Blair being unstoppable.

[Jon White]

Felicity, I think your quartet is innacurate:
It will be be Brown, but not for very long!
Obviously it will Sarkozy.
Wasn't aware that Merkel will have to face an election by then, and not sure that she will be re-elected.
Clinton? No chance. If the Dems are dumb enough to nominate her, she cannot carry the country. You cannot win the US race without the South, and for all the wrong (racist) reasons, Obama cannot carry the south. A very good outside bet is Romney - came across very well in recent debate.

[Ted]

Jon White - there's a movie due for release this summer about the Mormon massacre of settlers heading west through Utah. It was a pretty horrendous event with men, women and children murdered as they thought they were being led to safety. Look up Mountain Meadows Massacre.
It will damage Romney - not because of the events but because it reminds the Christian South that Mormons have a different back story.

[Teesbridge]

DC (for it is he): "See, the storm builds. Soon the Monster will live. Hurry, Igor - to the Laboratory!"

Sarko: "Yeth marthter..."

[Jaz]

There is a good possibility Clinton will win, she's been moving to the right quite rapidly. She will scrape past Obama, but Rudi (divorced 3 times...still moaning about 9/11) and McCain will be unable to win against her.

[Andrea Leadsom]

I think Sarkozy is just what France needs....he might even dismantle some of the protectionism that makes French support for European free trade so laughable.

I was surprised to hear that Blair is keen on him though - perhaps he wants to live vicariously through another Leader who is promising radical reform....I just hope Sarkozy doesn't collapse (as Blair did) at the first sign of rebellion from his own political colleagues.

[Mystic Mug]

I like this game! Surely in 2010, the western world's leaders will be a quintet: Clinton/Obama/Giuliani-Cameron-Merkel/Beck-Sarkozy-Salmond?

[Cllr Nicholas Bennett]

First he has to ensure a parliamentary majority in the General Election next month, then he has to stand up to the Left.

The spirit of 1789 still infects the streets, organised by the Communist trades unions aided by the Trots and secretly supported by the French Socialist Party. If he can do a Thatcher and face them down and implement the reforms he is proposing, he could change France for the better. He will need to be a clever bastard.

[Serf]

He will need to be a clever bastard.

He won an election by promising the unthinkable and challenging the electorate's deepest held beliefs. I think you'll find he is a clever bastard.

Like others though, I do despair of his EU leanings.

[Graeme Archer]

He impressed me more as it went on. I thought he was devastating against Sego in their last debate (I don't agree with the Editor about her "gracious" concession -- perhaps she'd calmed down by last night, but "hysterical" is the word that has suggested itself to me as a descriptor of her as the campaign moved to its last stages -- though I do agree she is much better looking than Sarkozy!).

Am so hopeful. But, you know, I get hopeful whenever a non-socialist wins in France. Am still waiting to see anything vaguely anglo-saxon enter their political thinking. He has said some wonderful things -- let's hope first, he can get a majority in the upcoming parliamentary elections and second, he can rally the people behind him when the inevitable union blockades take hold when he moves to abolish minimum time directive &c &c (NB only 8% of France belongs to a union).

That sounds really grizzling -- as if anyone French would care what I think anyway! Congratulations to Mr S for a stunning victory over the left!

[Morten Fjeldberg]

Right man for France, hope he will prove that he is not as protectionistic as Chirac

[Tim Roll-Pickering]

Tim Aker: But lost so badly? Only net gained a single seat where the incumbant independent stood down? Saw the vote fall back further?

We may not have been able to win that election but we could have done a darnsight better with a better relevant centrist campaign.

[france]

The U.S.-Mexican border fence works, doesn't work

[robert weidenberg]

How COME you never even mention the Geneva-based UN "specialized" (in THIEVERY) bodies staffed with crooks & criminals, phoneys & parasites, lesbian whores, in short trash people of the basest ILK and funded by the hard-wotking taxpayers everywhere ?