SPIEGEL ONLINE
- May 07, 2012
On the night of his victory, France's new president seemed exhausted and overwhelmed by the size of his task. François Hollande has little time to master the transition from candidate to president. He faces important tests at home and abroad, including finding a way to get along with Angela Merkel. By Mathieu von Rohr in Paris more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- May 06, 2012
The French chose François Hollande because he promised to be a different president than Nicolas Sarkozy. He just won one of the most difficult jobs on earth: to reform France. To succeed he will have to disappoint many of his supporters. But Hollande is a pragmatist, not an ideologue -- and this might even help him to bond with Angela Merkel. An Analysis By Mathieu von Rohr in Tulle, France more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- May 06, 2012
France has elected François Hollande as its next president. Incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first president in 31 years not to get elected to a second term. Hollande's election is also expected to have a major impact on European Union policies. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- May 04, 2012
New polls indicate that the gap between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and frontrunner François Hollande is narrowing. But most still expect the Socialist challenger to emerge victorious on Sunday. German commentators say that Hollande still has a lot to learn -- and the sooner he does, the greater the clout he will have in Europe. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- May 01, 2012
All eyes in Europe are on François Hollande, the Socialist candidate who could become France's next president on Sunday. The reserved technocrat has become more confident and presidential during the campaign, and makes up for his shortcomings as an orator by showing genuine empathy with people. But even his friends say he is hard to fathom. By Mathieu von Rohr more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 24, 2012
The collapse of the Dutch government, the prospect of Socialist François Hollande as next French president and the surging popularity of far-right parties shows that budget discipline is out of fashion in Europe. Chancellor Angela Merkel is looking increasingly lonely in her fight to save the euro through painful austerity measures, write German commentators. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 23, 2012
Socialist challenger François Hollande may have got the biggest share of the vote in the first round of the French presidential election, but the real winner seems to be right-wing populist Marine Le Pen. German commentators argue that incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy only has himself to blame for his poor showing. more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 23, 2012
In an interview with SPIEGEL, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn attacks a Franco-German plan to allow Schengen-zone countries to temporarily re-introduce border controls. The move is a populist ploy by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to secure his re-election, says Asselborn. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 23, 2012
Socialist challenger Francois Hollande has beaten incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in the first round of the French presidential election. The result is a sign of how frustrated the French are with the state of their country, and how angry they are with Sarkozy. Hollande now has to appeal to supporters of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen if he wants to win the second round. A Commentary by Mathieu von Rohr more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 20, 2012
Germany and France want to weaken Europe's border-free travel agreement, according to a Friday newspaper report. Berlin and Paris would like to be able to temporarily reintroduce border controls due to concerns about illegal immigration. The move is not, a Berlin official assures, to be seen as re-election campaign help for Sarkozy. more...
