Regime change in France signals wider shift in European outlook
Europe’s wall of conservative blue saw its first crimson fractures Sunday night as elections delivered a historic regime change to France, showed a newly resurgent left in Greece and Germany, and signalled the end of a continent-wide consensus around debt-cutting and austerity as the main response to the economic crisis.
Europe’s political centre of balance shifted decisively with the election of Socialist Party leader François Hollande to the French presidency, who defeated conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy, 51.6 per cent to 48.4.
His presidency marks more than just the end of 17 years of right-wing French leadership.
The new politics could shift relationships with the United States and Canada, with Mr. Hollande promising to push Europe’s focus away from trans-Atlantic military and trade relationships toward a more insular emphasis on co-operation through the European Union. The withdrawal from Afghanistan is likely to become even more rapid, and the Canada-European Union free-trade agreement, championed by Mr. Sarkozy, could move to the back burner.
Mr. Hollande’s victory also may signal an end to an awkward compromise among the leaders of Germany, France and other European states around debt-cutting, rather than growth promotion, as the solution to the euro-zone crisis.
“Europe is watching us,” Mr. Hollande declared in a victory speech. “In many European countries there is now relief. … Austerity is no longer the only option.”
As if to drive home that shift, Greeks delivered a crushing blow Sunday night to the coalition of pro-austerity conservative and centre-left parties, with the strongest returns going to far-left parties.
The shifting tide could also be felt in Germany, when a symbolically important election in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein delivered a humiliating blow to the conservative-liberal coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel at the hands of parties of the centre-left. It could mean that Ms. Merkel will be forced by her opposition parties to co-operate with Mr. Hollande’s demand for a growth-promoting bailout pact – and that European politics will feel very different after Monday morning.
Regime change in France signals wider shift in European outlook - The Globe and Mail