Sarkozy concedes in France, extremist factions win in Greece: The fall-out
http://twitter.com/#!/RuadhanIT/status/199199279083036673
Sarkozy's was an elegant and well-cast concession speech – – a graceful end to a fractious and ugly campaign.
— Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) May 6, 2012
My daughter emails from Nantes, France: "France is Socialist! Sarkozy giving defeat speech now."
— Greg Mitchell (@GregMitch) May 6, 2012
Oh, goody. This should end well.
Nicolas Sarkozy conceded the presidential run-off election in France today, ousted by the Socialist candidate Hollande. Reactions range from sadness to “well, France” to “oh, hell no”.
Maybe I'm getting sentimental, but I found Sarko's concession speech rather touching.
— Daniel Hannan (@DanHannanMEP) May 6, 2012
-Sad & emotional speech by Sarkozy.
— Niss Den (@Niss_Den) May 6, 2012
France. #eyeroll
— Chris Barnhart (@ChrisBarnhart) May 6, 2012
Five minutes into the Hollande presidency and I'm already bored to tears.
— Claire Berlinski (@ClaireBerlinski) May 6, 2012
The socialist Francois Hollande has won the French presidency. As for the future of Europe….and scene! #TheEnd
— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) May 6, 2012
The French have seen adulthood & decided it was not for them.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) May 6, 2012
https://twitter.com/#!/ThomasRHart/status/199203713334788099
Hollande wins. Let us know how that 75% #EatTheRich wealth-tax thing works out for you, France. | @TwitchyTeam http://t.co/hHvEh4Zs
— sdog (@s_dog) May 6, 2012
The winner, Francois Hollande gave an eerily familiar victory speech.
Accordion band behind Hollande plays 'La Vie en Rose'. Challenging national stereotypes plainly not his priority.
— Daniel Hannan (@DanHannanMEP) May 6, 2012
New French President Francois Hollande making his maiden speech after defeating Sarkozy. #France
— mzwandile mbeje (@mzwaimbeje) May 6, 2012
Francois Hollande says the people of France have "chosen change" by electing him President
— Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) May 6, 2012
"Change starts now" – François Hollande http://t.co/8JGZHNuK
— Anthony De Rosa (@AntDeRosa) May 6, 2012
And the seas will recede!
Hollande claims his victory will be greeted across Europe as rebuff to austerity. He's pumping up the rhetoric. This cld get interesting…
— Tim Montgomerie (@TimMontgomerie) May 6, 2012
Greece didn’t fare much better, with two extremist factions gaining strength.
Neo-Nazi party expected to win between 6-8% of the vote in Greece http://t.co/jYiZVftZ
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) May 6, 2012
Someone show me the way out please! #Greece #ekloges12
— Stavros Messinis (@StavMessinis) May 6, 2012
Pretty telling Greece votes for equal number of neo-Nazis & communists and people only upset about the neo-Nazis. #theybothsuck
— Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel) May 6, 2012
@jstrevino On the upside, Greek Nazis will be much lazier and less effective than their German forbears. But the parties they throw! #Opa
— jon gabriel (@exjon) May 6, 2012
https://twitter.com/#!/jstrevino/status/199182247549612033
Even the parody Angela Merkel account had to weigh in.
https://twitter.com/#!/Angela_D_Merkel/status/199218340147896320
More Greek riots on the way?
It's already started.Golden Dawn goons demanded reporters stand up when their leader entered,kicked out those who didn't #rbnews #greece2012
— Teacher Dude (@teacherdude) May 6, 2012
TR @tsimitakis Photojournalist tried to take photos near Chrysi Avgi offices Athens, was prevented. Describes frightful scenes #ekloges12
— Asteris Masouras 正义 (@asteris) May 6, 2012
Other parties will now have to team up with the extremist factions that gained numbers today
only in greece: no one has votes to form a government but so far 2 parties have invited others to join them in one
— Diane Shugart (@dianalizia) May 6, 2012
With a parliamentary system, instead of two ideological parties pandering to centrists, we could have coalitions of lunatic fringe parties.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) May 6, 2012
That can’t happen here, thankfully.
But, sadly, the United States does have to deal with the fall-out of these elections and with the certain devastating effects they will have, not just for Europe but for the world.
UPDATE: The Sarkozy speech, with a Twitchy-exclusive transcript of the remarks as translated live.
I ask you please to listen to what I have to say to you. I’ve thought a lot, and we’re speaking about France. France has a new President. This is a Republican choice. Francoise Hollande is the new President of France; he must be respected. I suffered a lot. My institution was not respected, please do not give a bad example. I will never be like those who fought against us. I’ve just spoken to him on the phone and wished him good luck with all the trials…it will be difficult but with all my heart I wish that France which is our country, that we unite, that France succeeds in overcoming these trials because there are many things that are much greater than us and that it our country. That is France. Tonight, we must think exclusively about the grander affronts and the greatness and the happiness of the French people. That is our mission; that is our role; that is our ideal.
I want to thank all the French people for the honor they’ve shown me, having chosen me to be their President for 5 years. never…never will I forget this honor. The life of a man — thank you, thank you. I am the one who has to say thank you to you for the life list of a man who has presided over the destiny of France is something that I can never forget. It is an immense honor. I have devoted all my energy , from the first and last second I tried to do my best to protect the French people from the unprecedented crises which have affected the whole world over the last five years, and yet France comes out strongly from thus. I want to thank my compatriots for their love for France, a greater love and attachment for France which is even stronger. And…people come out with greater admiration that French people are capable of achieving in difficult situations. I want to thank the millions of French people who voted for me. I did everything to unite us. I committed myself totally, but I did not succeed.I did not succeed in convincing the majority of French people. You were extraordinary towards me. You supported me. Together we carried out an unforgettable campaign against all forces, and God knows there were huge forces against us. But I did not succeed in winning over the values that I defended with you and to which I am deeply attached. I carry the entire responsibility for this defeat.
And I’m going to say why to you. I fought over the values of responsibility and I am not a man who does not accept his responsibilities. I am the President. I was the leader and when there is a defeat it is the leader who has to carry the first responsibility and draw all the consequences. I ask you to listen to me…because nothing which I’ve said in this campaign was easy. When I spoke of you, when I spoke about France and on very brief occasions when I spoke about myself, and I speak from the depth of my heart, I reflected about this very carefully. When you defend values, the only way is to live through these values. There have been too many discussions with words which have been expressed which mean nothing and those expressed and are living the opposite of what they say and I was not artificial in what I said. And that is great and important, to live in agreement with what I think. And this shows my love for France, to show my part of the truth.
Another era is opening and in this era I remain one of yours. I share your ideas. I share your convictions. Your ideal is the ideal of my entire life and you can count on me to defend these ideas, these convictions. But my place can no long er be the same. After 35 years involved in politics, after ten years — ten years — of every second I’ve been living with these responsibilities of government at the highest level for ten years — five years at the head of state — my commitment and the life of my country will not be different. But the trials, the joys, the pains we have shared and links with tine will never take away. And now I’m ready to become a French person amongst French people. More than ever. I have a love for our country deeply ingrained in my heart. I want to say one thing to you. I ask you to hold on to this and understand this. Never my dear compatriots — never — will I be able to give back to you everything you have given back to me.
Think of France. Think of the French people. Think of the unity. I want to say one thing from the depth of my heart. I’ve been moved by these crowds, by all these meetings, by all these French people who were there on by my side. I want to say that you couldn’t have given me a more beautiful gift, a greater image of France. Tonight let us give the best image of France — a France which is shining which does not have hatred in her heart; a democratic, joyful France; an open France; a France which does not see the other, the adversary, as an enemy. [As one who] won in 2007 and recognizes defeat in 2012 and is able to accept defeat, let us be patriots — French — with dignity, exactly the opposite the image that some people might have given in the reverse situation. I love you. Thank you.
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